A mould and dirty water incident inside a bone marrow transplant ward at Glasgow’s Queen Elizabeth University Hospital prompted clinical investigations into patients.
NHS Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, Glasgow.(Image: PA)
Patients were caught up in a mould and dirty water incident inside a cancer ward at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow.
As reported by Sky News, NHS officials confirmed that a number of patients had to undergo clinical investigations following the incident at the £1bn hospital.
However, health chiefs have not disclosed how many patients were involved, what prompted the investigations or whether anyone became ill.
The issue occurred within ward 4B, the hospital’s adult bone marrow transplant unit, where mould and water ingress were discovered and several rooms were closed.
Bone marrow transplant patients are considered among the most vulnerable in the NHS because their immune systems are heavily suppressed, meaning even common airborne mould can cause serious or potentially life-threatening infections.
The incident triggered a red alert from the Healthcare Infection Incident Assessment Team (HIIAT), the most serious infection control warning used in Scotland’s health service.
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Sky News also reported that air scrubbers have been placed in corridors and that regular air sampling is taking place in the ward — measures typically introduced when infection risks are identified.
The broadcaster said it contacted NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde earlier this week for clarification about the situation and received a response several days later.
A health board spokeswoman said: “We have undertaken clinical investigations into a small number of patients all of whom are now discharged and causing no concern.”
Officials did not confirm how many patients were assessed or whether infections were suspected.
The Scottish Government also confirmed that patients had been “identified in relation to this incident” and have since been discharged.
The hospital has been at the centre of longstanding concerns over its environment since opening in 2015, including issues linked to contaminated water and ventilation systems.
Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney has previously said he remains confident the hospital is safe.
However, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said the latest revelations raise “serious questions about the safety issues at the hospital and the risks patients are being exposed to”.