In a significant development, the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) health board has acknowledged that issues with the water system at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH) were likely responsible for causing infections in child cancer patients, some of which led to deaths.
This admission comes as part of the Scottish Hospitals Inquiry, which was launched to investigate mistakes made in the planning, design, and construction of the QEUH campus following concerns about unusual infections and the deaths of several patients.
The health board had previously denied that the bacteria in the hospital’s water system were responsible for the infections. However, in its closing submissions to the inquiry, NHSGGC stated that it is “more likely than not” that some of the infections suffered by patients were connected to the hospital’s water supply.
The board said, “NHSGGC accepts that, on the balance of probabilities, there is a causal connection between some infections suffered by patients and the hospital environment, in particular the water system.” It added that there had been a “steady decrease” in the rate of infections after remedial measures on the system had commenced.
This acknowledgement is a significant milestone for the families affected, particularly for Kimberly Darroch, the mother of 10-year-old Milly Main, who died in 2017 after contracting the Stenotrophomonas bacteria while undergoing treatment for leukaemia.
Darroch welcomed the admission, saying, “As a mother, I’ve spent six years fighting for answers that should have been given at the very beginning.” She added that the recognition of the causal connection is a significant step, but it also highlights the struggles families have faced in having the truth recognized.
Patrick McGuire, a senior partner at Thompsons Solicitors Scotland who represents many of the affected families, described the health board’s previous conduct as “callous evasion and dishonesty.” He called for those responsible for this “disgraceful conduct” to be held accountable and for the inquiry to be extended to ensure “nothing like this can ever happen again.”
The Scottish Hospitals Inquiry is ongoing, and the Scottish government has stated that it would be “inappropriate to comment further at this time” as it is committed to assisting the inquiry and allowing the families to get the answers they deserve.