NHS chiefs in war of words with public inquiry over infections at £842m hospital

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde claims the Scottish Hospitals Inquiry has “ignored” its evidence and has denied covering up issues with the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.

And it insists there are no links between deadly infections and the water and ventilation system at the £842million Glasgow site.

But its view has been contradicted by NHS National Services Scotland (NSS) – the government agency responsible for the country’s health system.

In its latest submission to the inquiry, NSS said “avoidable risks had been identified with regards to the water and ventilation systems” since patients began arriving at the QEUH campus in 2015.

They also agreed that widespread contamination of the hospital water system, discovered in 2018, had “the potential to be harmful to vulnerable patients coming into contact with untreated or unfiltered water”.

Louise Slorance, whose husband Andrew was infected with the bacteria aspergillus while waiting for cancer treatment at the QEUH, said: “The cover-up by GGC continues unabated while patients and families suffer.

“I welcome NSS’s clear response to the questions asked, which clearly state there was an avoidable risk to patients in the hospital due to the water and ventilation problems.”

Expert reports to the inquiry have identified infections in the water system and linked them to infections among children being treated for cancer.

The judge-led public inquiry was set up after dozens of patients contracted illnesses and some died.

In their latest submission, the health board bosses said: “NHSGGC does not accept, on the basis of the evidence available, the water, drainage or ventilation systems in the new QEUH and RHC buildings have posed a risk to the safety of patients, beyond that which may reasonably be expected in any comparable hospital environment.”

NHSGGC said it provided more than 13,000 documents to the inquiry and added: “It is particularly frustrating and disappointing the material and assistance provided by NHSGGC to the inquiry has been largely ignored…”

It said the evidence now shows “NHSGGC was, at all times, acting in good faith, with no collusion or ‘cover-up’”.

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