Parents of kids treated at QEUH 'have no confidence' in health board

The parents of sick children receiving treatment at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital campus have said they have "no confidence'' in the health board responsible.

A report leaked by a whistleblower earlier this week indicated that the Greater Glasgow and Clyde board was told areas of the flagship £800 million Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH) campus were at a "high risk'' of infection before opening in 2015.

Another two reports, also leaked to Labour MSP Anas Sarwar, suggest issues were still pervasive at the hospital in 2017 and 2018.

The death of 10-year-old Milly Main in August 2017 after she had beaten cancer has been linked to an infection caused by contaminated water at the site.

Following a meeting attended by 15 parents with children receiving treatment at the campus, parents said that they do not believe they are being told the truth and are "not getting answers'' about infections from water.

In a statement released on Saturday, the group also said that they have no confidence in the board and believe it is not fit for purpose, while saying that those responsible should not remain in place while an investigation is carried out.

The parents also said that they cannot wait for a public inquiry and want answers now - including whether the hospital is safe.

Charmaine Lacock, speaking for the 15 parents, said: "We don't believe we are being told the truth about infections from water at the QEUH and we are not getting answers from the health board.

"As such, we have no confidence in the board and do not believe it is fit for purpose.

"The health board's approach is impacting on our health and well-being when we should be concentrating on caring for our children.

"Those responsible should not remain in place while the investigation happens, as it compromises the investigation and doesn't give us confidence.

"And we want to know if the hospital is safe, then why are our children being given prophylaxis antibiotics, which increase the risk of resistance and other side effects?

"We don't believe the hospital should have been opened if senior managers knew it was high risk. We can't wait for a public inquiry and we want answers now.''

Mr Sarwar said: "Dozens of worried parents have been in touch following whistleblowers' claims about the water infection scandal at the QUEH, and they rightly have many questions.

"I share their deep anger at the way the board has covered up this scandal, and their belief that the board is not fit for purpose.

"Having heard of the trauma these parents have been through, enough is enough. Senior managers at the hospital must be immediately moved aside to ensure there is a full and independent investigation.

"The top priority is to find answers for these parents, so that no other family has to go through what they have suffered."

Statement by Jane Grant, Chief Executive, NHSGGC ''I am truly sorry that parents remain concerned about safety issues and I am absolutely committed to ensuring families are provided with the information they need and deserve.

The Chairman and I have already met with a number of families and they told us this direct engagement was extremely valuable. We continue to offer this opportunity to all 400 families involved with Ward 6A, including the 15 families represented by Mr Sarwar.

I would once again encourage any parent who remains concerned about the quality of care their child has received to contact me directly to arrange a meeting.

We want to work with parents to improve how we communicate with them and we are being supported in this by Professor Craig White who has been appointed by the Cabinet Secretary as point of liaison with families.

The Cabinet Secretary has now announced the establishment of an Oversight Board, chaired by Professor Fiona McQueen, Chief Nursing Officer, to ensure appropriate governance is in place to increase public confidence in infection control and in our engagement with families.

We welcome the additional support offered and are committed to working closely with the Scottish Government to implement any recommended additional changes and enhancements across infection control and associated engagement.

Since the move to Ward 6A and 4B in September 2018, infection rates have been similar to other Scottish paediatric units.

We have fully tested the water supply and ward surfaces in Ward 6A and also reviewed individual infections and found no links between individual infections and no source of infections in the ward.

Families should be reassured that infection rates at present are within expected levels and the hospital is safe.

The technical reports on the quality of the water supplies at the QEUH Campus mentioned by Mr Sarwar in the Scottish Parliament were not brought to the Senior Leadership Team’s attention until 2018.

Once I had been made aware of these reports by Health Facilities Scotland as part of the work we had commissioned following an increase in the number of infections on Ward 2A/2B, I ensured that immediate steps and necessary action was taken to provide assurance about the safety of the water supply.

I want to assure the families involved at that time that there was no attempt to ignore these reports once they were brought to my attention.

I would, therefore, hope the families who have called for changes at the top of the organisation can accept that the current leadership team have made significant efforts to address the situation.

Every member of the team has been entirely committed throughout this difficult period to ensuring the safety and quality of care of the children.

This has not been easy given the challenges we inherited from the previous leadership team and we accept communications with the families could have been better but I remain convinced we have the right people to take the Royal Hospital for Children forward so that it fulfills its potential to be one of the leading children’s’ hospitals in the UK.''

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