Infections surged in kids with cancer after they moved to Glasgow's £842m superhospital

A top scientist at ­Glasgow’s superhospital has told how the rates of infection in ­children with cancer soared after they moved to the new £842million campus. Kathleen Harvey-Wood, the principal scientist in the ­microbiology unit at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH), made the revelation in evidence to the Scottish ­Hospitals Inquiry last week.

The inquiry, before Lord Philip Brodie, is looking at the ­ construction of the QEUH and problems with infections in vulnerable patients, mainly ­children with cancer. In evidence, Harvey-Wood discussed a report that she and another medic had prepared amid fears over infections at the Royal Hospital for Children (RHC) at the QEUH campus.

The scientist said there was a suggestion within NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde that there were more infections being found in children with blood cancer at the new hospital simply because more tests were being done on them. But her report showed fewer blood tests had been taken at the RHC than at the former ­children’s hospital at Yorkhill.

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According to the report 203 blood tests were done between June 2014 and 2015. After moving to the RHC in June 2015 until June 2018, there were between 194 and 200 blood tests done a year but a higher rate of infections.

Before the move around eight per cent of those tested had a positive result – indicating some sign of infection was found – but rose to a high of 27 per cent two years later at the RHC. Asked if there was a “striking difference” between RHC and Yorkhill, Harvey-Wood agreed and said: “There was variation month to month but overall it was an upward trend.”

Her report also highlighted that after the children’s cancer ward was disinfected with hydrogen peroxide vapour the rate of infections plunged to just three per cent. On Thursday the inquiry heard from a former deputy medical director at NHSGGC, Dr Chris Deighan, who was quizzed about the treatment of a senior infection control doctor who raised concerns about ­infections at the site.

Dr Teresa Inkster was forced out of a key role, excluded from meetings and blamed for a “toxic” culture by superiors. Inkster was one of the medics who raised the alarm about the problems at the QEUH campus in Glasgow as far back as 2015.

Yet the doctor was forced from her role chairing ­emergency talks about ­children’s rare infections and was the subject of discussion by senior staff behind her back. In August 2019, 13 of the board’s most senior employee's including Deighan, medical director Jennifer Armstrong, director of infection control Sandra Devine and head of public health Linda de ­Caestecker discussed Incident Management Teams (IMTs), which take place if there is a serious outbreak on site.

They did not invite Dr Inkster, who was responsible for chairing those IMTs, and proceeded to agree there was a toxic culture and ­atmosphere at her sessions. A record states Dr Inkster had given her ­“apologies” for not attending but the inquiry established she had been sent an invite to a different meeting.

Senior inquiry counsel Fred Mackintosh KC said: “Let’s imagine that you have been chairing a series of meetings in one of your many jobs in the hospital. An invitation has been circulated by senior managers inviting you to discuss something completely different and you give your apologies for some other reason, and then you discover later that they’re discussing you and your conduct. How happy would you be about that?” Deighan replied: “I would not be happy.”

Mackintosh said: “You’re the deputy Medical Director. How do you feel about a meeting being held to discuss one of your senior clinicians, of which they have not been given practically any notice that they are the subject of? Do you feel that’s suitably respectful of a colleague?

“Is it really proper for a bunch of doctors and nurses to hold a meeting to discuss the lead infection control doctor’s conduct without giving her notice and in her absence?” Deighan said he could “certainly see the argument that you are putting forward” but said the question was for the person who arranged the meeting rather than him.

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