MSPs call for Holyrood probe into ‘pigeon droppings’ deaths at Glasgow hospital

Opposition MSPs will today call for a Holyrood probe into the deaths of two patients at Scotland’s flagship £842 million Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

The Queen Elizabeth University Hospital. Picture: John Devlin

Infection spread by pigeon droppings was found to be factor in the death of a ten-year-old boy at the hospital. An older patient who also contracted the infection died of unrelated causes.

Tory MSP Miles Briggs will today call on Holyrood’s health committee to launch an investigation into what went wrong at the hospital, which only opened four years ago. There have been a series of issues over drainage, water supply and falling glass. The latest deaths prompted health secretary Jeane Freeman to launch an independent inquiry last week into how “fit for purpose” the hospital is.

But Mr Briggs will demand senior figures from the Scottish Government, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and the Healthcare Inspectorate give evidence to MSPs.

“It’s imperative the Parliament’s health committee investigates this scandal as a matter of urgency,” he said.

“It’s bad enough that two people have lost their lives in such unacceptable circumstances. But in the weeks since the SNP government has been complacent and badly lacked transparency. The families involved will have questions that deserve to be answered, but so too will the patients, visitors and staff who use the hospital on a daily basis.

“The new Queen Elizabeth was supposed to be a flagship hospital offering the very best care in a safe, clean environment. Instead, infections have been allowed to spread in a way you would associate with the Victorian times.

“It’s not good enough and Holyrood needs to find out why this happened and how best to ensure it’s never repeated.”

Labour is backing the Tory calls for a probe.

“It is right that Parliament tries to get to the bottom of this scandal,” health spokeswoman Monica Lennon said.

Health committee convenor Lewis Macdonald said: “MSPs on the health and sport committee will no doubt take those investigations into account in any discussion we may have and we will seek at all times to focus our efforts where we can make the most difference.”

It emerged last weekend prosecutors were also investigating the death of the ten-year-old boy at the hospital after he contracted the infection linked to pigeon droppings.

If the procurator fiscal does decide to take action, a fatal accident inquiry or prosecution are among the options. The fungal infection that contributed to the child’s death is believed to have come from pigeon droppings found in a plant room on the hospital’s roof. Investigations continue to establish how it entered a closed ventilation system.