Two more child deaths ‘linked to hospital bugs’
Medics speak out amid claims of a ‘culture of denial’ over the scale of threat
TWO more children have died at Glasgow’s superhospital campus from suspected bacterial infections caught on site amid claims that a “culture of denial” exists among senior managers about the scale of the threat.
One of the children is said to have died from aspergillus infection in November 2020 “around the same time and in the same ward” as Andrew Slorance, who had headed up the Scottish Government’s communications unit.
The latest claims were made by senior clinicians who approached Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar with concerns.
One of the whistleblowers – whose statement has been released anonymously by the party due to “fear of retribution” – said two patients dying with aspergillus infections in a short space of time should have triggered a major investigation.
A second unnamed clinician also claims there has been “at least one death” in the past few months in the adjacent Royal Hospital for Children where a child was infected by bacteria linked to water
and the environment. The clinician goes on to describe a “culture of denial” into hospital infections, adding that “there continue to be cases of infection linked to water and the environment including Stenotrophomonas”.
The rare bacteria caused the death of 10-year-old leukaemia patient Milly Main in August 2017 after a line administering her drugs intravenously became infected, leading to toxic shock.
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said it is “fully committed to being completely open and transparent” and that infection control in the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH) is “rigorous and of the highest standard”.
The claims come amid an ongoing public inquiry into infections linked to the building and water supply at the QEUH.
Mr Sarwar said the doctors had contacted him directly to raise concerns after the widow of Mr Slorance spoke out alleging a cover-up surrounding her husband’s death following the discovery from his medical notes that he had been treated for an infection caused by Aspergillus. Louise Slorance said this had never been discussed with herself or her husband.
Mr Slorance, a father-of-five from Edinburgh, was admitted to the flagship hospital at the end of
October 2020 for a stem cell transplant and chemotherapy as part of treatment for mantle cell lymphoma (MCL).
However, the 49-year-old died weeks later after contracting Covid. His cause of death was listed as Covid pneumonia. Aspergillus is a type of mould commonly found in the environment, but which can cause fatal respiratory illnesses in patients with severely weakened immune systems.
Mrs Slorance has accused NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde of “hiding the fungal infection” to “protect a building, a health board and political decision-making”.
The health board insists that it has been “open and honest” at all times with the Slorance family about the treatment provided.
Mr Sarwar called on the First Minister to fire the health board’s leadership, sack the oversight board and escalate it to Stage 5 – meaning that ministers are put directly in control and the organisation is declared to be “unable to deliver effective care”.
Mr Sarwar said: “Last week, I raised the case of Andrew Slorance who died in the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow after contracting a fungal infection, aspergillus, linked to water and the environment.
“Since then I have been contacted by senior clinicians who have spoken out about two more deaths.
“Another case of aspergillus in a child cancer patient around the same time, in the same ward as Andrew. And in the last two months, a child in the paediatric hospital acquired a waterborne infection – like Milly Main – and died.
“Nicola Sturgeon’s holding answers are no longer good enough, she has been in charge of this scandal from start to finish. This is gross negligence.”
In their statement, senior clinician A said there were “serious questions” to answer around the aspergillus cases involving Mr Slorance, who died on December 6, 2020, and the child cancer patient who died in November 2020.
They said: “It begs the question – if there was a case as far back as the November 4, what did the health board do to investigate it? Did they look for an environmental source and could future infections have been prevented?
“In cases like this, where two patients have died of aspergillus in short order, a HIIAT (healthcare infection incident assessment tool) Red report should have been filed and therefore the Health Secretary informed.
“Why was this then not acted on? We could have lost the chance to prevent subsequent infections and deaths.”
The second, “Senior clinician B”, complained of a “culture of bullying and intimidation”, adding: “Despite the reassurances from the health board and the Scottish Government, there continue to be cases of infection linked to water and the environment including Stenotrophomonas.
“There is a culture of denial and the absence of proper investigations into these cases. The result is inaction with potentially fatal consequences.”
Ms Sturgeon – who attended Mr Slorance’s wake last year – said she would look into the claims “as a matter of urgency”, adding that “no clinician should fear bullying or intimidation in coming forward”.
She said: “When concerns are raised, it is important there is proper and full investigation to determine whether there are relationships between infections.”
In a statement, NHSGGC said: “We would like to reassure the public that the clinical care we provide to our patients within the QEUH and RHC is of a high standard and we afford patient safety the highest possible priority.
“All NHSGGC staff are fully committed to being completely open and transparent in all that we do and for this to be repeatedly called into question does not represent a true reflection of our organisation.”