Chiefs at Glasgow hospital hid truth about infections scandal from families

An inquiry investigating contamination problems at Glasgow’s Queen Elizabeth ­University Hospital (QEUH) campus has found NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) communications chiefs were putting “a positive spin on reality” when they briefed the media and families.

A report from the inquiry states senior medics felt the risk of bacteria in the water and ventilation at the hospital was being “downplayed” to patients and their ­families.

NHS chiefs told the public there was “no link” between QEUH and the ­infections patients were getting – even though they already knew at least one patient was infected with bacteria found on site.

The inquiry’s damning new report has led to renewed calls for senior NHSGGC figures to be removed from their posts.

Health Secretary Michael Matheson is also under fire for his silence over the scandal with patients, relatives and MSPs calling for him to place NHSGGC back into special measures.

Scottish Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie said: “From the very start of this scandal we have seen patients, and even staff, being thrown under the bus to protect the board’s reputation.

“Now we have confirmation that the board leadership knowingly misled patients, families and the public about the health and safety risks in the hospital.

“This is damning. That the Health ­Secretary and his immediate ­predecessor have been silent on this issue is ­unforgivable.

What is absolutely clear is that this culture of secrecy and spin comes from the very top of the health board.

“The chief executive and chair should resign or be sacked.”

Scottish Tory health ­spokesman Dr Sandesh Gulhane said: “The cover-up by health board bosses is a prime ­example of the SNP’s secret Scotland.

“This whole situation has been an utter scandal and patients and the public deserve ­nothing but the whole truth.

“This behaviour seems to run through this health board, which also thought it appropriate to spy on a ­grieving widow and MSPs.

“Michael Matheson cannot continue to be posted ­missing.

“If the health board won’t be transparent, then it is time for the SNP Health ­Secretary to put them under special measures.”

The £842million hospital opened in 2015 but concerns were raised when ­cancer patients, including children, began ­getting infected with rare bacteria.

Behind the scenes senior staff had been raising concerns about the facilities before they opened but this only became public years later when two patients died after contracting rare bacterial infections commonly linked to bird poo.

A 188-page closing ­statement from the inquiry sets out a catalogue of ­failures around communication by NHSGGC.

It details witness evidence that suggests families and journalists were either not told the truth, told ­partial information or given details that had not been provided to patients.

When two kids’ cancer wards were closed down in 2018, families were told this was for an “enhanced cleaning programme” but weren’t told about the safety concerns, according to the report.

It stated the information given to families “does not acknowledge the occurrence of infections or that the ward was not considered a safe ­environment in which to treat patients”.

Later that year the health board said that while the cancer wards were closed it was a “good opportunity to carry out … upgrading of the [ventilation] system” but didn’t tell patients or the public the work was needed because “issues with the ventilation system were thought to present a possible risk” to child cancer patients, according to lawyer Alastair Duncan’s report.

In 2019, ward 6A, which was for child cancer patients, was closed to new admissions after three children were infected with rare bacteria.

The health board told families infection rates were normal and there “remains ­nothing to link the infections to the ward’s ­infection control ­practices or the ­environment”.

This is despite officials ­confirming at least one infection “was caused by ­exposure to water within the hospital”, according to the report.

NHSGGC also told parents that “infection rates remain within expected levels for the patients treated on Ward 6A” but, according to the report, this didn’t reflect the concerns of experts looking at the infections.

Although the health board referred to “rare infections”, ­Duncan said: “The reassurance that rates were within expected levels might have risked missing the point that underpinned ­concern at the time: that it was because of a clustering of ­unusual infections (rather than the rate of infection) that they felt that a restriction upon admissions to the ward was required”.

Witnesses told the inquiry that “information provided to the media did not always square with the lived experience of patients and families”.

Duncan detailed several ­examples of “instances of media ­communication that were ­perhaps less aligned with the actual circumstances than they might have been”.

In January 2019 NHSGGC told journalists that “at no time have we instructed patients not to drink the tap water” despite patients being told not to drink tap water since March 2018.

Duncan said the health board’s statement there was no evidence to link infections to the hospital ­environment was ­contradicted by the “confirmation of a link between the environment and one patient infection”.

He said: “It can fairly be asked whether the media briefings at the time captured the situation on the ground. There are also ­examples of the media seemingly being provided with more detailed information than patients and families.”

NHSGGC has ­continued to deny any link between patient infections and the hospital ­environment, except in two cases.

Police are probing the deaths of five patients – three children and two adults – at the hospital which could lead to corporate homicide charges.

NHSGGC said: “NHSGGC notes the closing statements from the ongoing Scottish Hospitals Inquiry. In line with the agreed process, we will ­submit our response to the inquiry’s closing statements in due course.

“NHSGGC remains fully committed to collaboratively contributing to the inquiry and ­providing support to our staff to participate fully when requested to do so.”

The Scottish Government said: “The inquiry was established in accordance with the Inquiries Act 2005 and operates independently of government.

“The Scottish Ministers have been appointed as a core participant of the inquiry and as such it would not be appropriate for Ministers to comment while it remains ongoing.”

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