A PARENT whose child is being treated for cancer at Glasgow's super-hospital said the review “tells us nothing” and had not reassured her that the hospital is safe.
Charmaine Lacock, 42, from Glasgow, has been been visiting the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital since 2018 when her daughter Paige, now 4, was first diagnosed with leukaemia.
An independent review published yesterday found children and adults being treated for cancer were put an increased risk due to failings in the design, construction and maintenance of the hospital although no link was found to infection deaths.
It was ordered by Health Secretary Jeane Freeman following the deaths of three patients between December 2018 and February 2019.
READ MORE: Super-hospital death inquiry: Children with cancer were 'exposed to risk
An adult and a child died after they contracted cryptococcus, an infection linked to pigeon droppings, while another adult died after contracting fungal infection mucor at the hospital - although this was not found to a contributory factor in her death.
Ms Lacock said: “Jeane Freeman has ordered a review and she got it, but we still have no answers. It tells us nothing really.
"We need an apology. They knew our children were not safe, it says it there in black and white that the hospital building was a risk.
"But yet, nothing was done. People were arguing with one another, not listening to each other, infection control and senior managers were not working together.
"Children died and others got infected. I still do not believe our kids should be being treated in there at all.”
NHs Greater Glasgow and Clyde is pursuing legal action against Multiplex, which built the hospital.
Ms Lacock said that while NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde had tried to improve their communication with parents in the last year, following the deaths of two people from Cryptococcus, the efforts have “not helped” in restoring her trust in the health board.
She said: “Every parent I have spoken to today has said the same – the report is a whitewash. It doesn’t restore trust, it doesn’t tell us anything we don’t already know. A year on from when I first started speaking out about this and the fears that I had for my daughter, I don’t feel any more comforted by this at all.”
The report states that the Cryptococcus infections cannot be linked to pigeon droppings which were found in a plant room on the 12th floor of the £842m hospital after two patients became infected.
Ms Lacock said: “The pigeon droppings…I don’t see how there can’t be a link. We know it happened, how can they say there is no clear link? Is there a clear link that it hasn’t been that pigeons caused it?
“The fact documents are missing from the build and the construction of the hospital is also just ridiculous, it’s not as if the building is old. It’s fairly new. And surely if this is what the independent review has found, what hope can we have that a public inquiry won’t find the same problems if they are looking at the same evidence?”
The review, led by Dr Andrew Fraser and Dr Brian Montgomery, found the hospital was not built, finished and handed over in a manner that took full account of the specific needs of vulnerable patients.
READ MORE: Details of £73million super-hospital fight revealed by health board
Milly Main, 10, died in 2017 at the RHC from an infection, which her mother said she believes was "100%" due to contaminated water.
An independent review by Health Protection Scotland (HPS) into the water supply confirmed contamination of the system in 2018.
Her mother Kimberley Darrock said the findings had re-inforced her calls for a fatal accident inquiry.
Jane Grant, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde chief executive, said: "This has been a very difficult period for our patients, their families and our staff - for which we apologise.
"The findings highlight several areas of learning for NHSGGC.
"We remain fully committed to applying the learning from this experience."
A public inquiry is to take place to examine issues at the QEUH site and the delayed Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh.
Ms Freeman said: "On behalf of the Scottish Government, I want to express how sorry I am that patients and families have had to endure this situation".
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