Cancer Patients Moved Over New Hospital Air Fears

Cancer patients at a new Glasgow hospital are being moved back to the Beatson unit after an issue with the air quality was discovered.

The precautionary move affects 18 patients who were being treated at the new Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) said the temporary measure was being taken after routine air quality monitoring identified a higher than-desirable particle count in the bone marrow transplant unit.

While remedial measures are being looked at, the service is being transferred back to the Beatson, along with the hospital's acute leukaemia patients.

Dr Anne Parker, lead consultant for haemato-oncology, said: "In consultation with colleagues from various disciplines, it has been agreed that 18 patients will move to the Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre for an interim period.

"This will enable remedial work to take place without disrupting patient care. This is purely a precautionary step and we have no evidence that any patient has been adversely affected as a result of the environment issues.

"We are fortunate that the Beatson is available to us and we are working with our critical care colleagues in the new high acuity unit which has been established there.''

The health board said the patients will be returned to the new hospital as soon as possible.

The issue relates only to the adult hospital, NHSGGC said. Bone marrow transplant services at the city's Royal Hospital for Children are separate and unaffected.

The Queen last week visited the new £842 million campus, previously known as the South Glasgow University Hospital, where she renamed it The Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, Glasgow.

Last month, the hospital was offered expert help to meet accident and emergency (A&E) waiting times after figures showed almost a quarter of patients were not being treated within the target.