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NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) has acknowledged that problems with the water system at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH) likely contributed to infections in pediatric cancer patients. This admission marks a change from the health board’s earlier stance, where it denied any link between waterborne bacteria and patient infections that resulted in deaths. In concluding remarks submitted to the Scottish Hospitals Inquiry, NHSGGC conceded that it was probable there was a “causal connection” between some infections and the hospital environment, particularly the water supply. While the health board emphasized its full cooperation with the ongoing inquiry, the Scottish government refrained from making further comments, describing it as inappropriate at this stage.
The inquiry itself was established to investigate potential failings in the planning, design, and construction of the QEUH campus following troubling reports of unusual infections and fatalities. Among those who died was 10-year-old Milly Main, who contracted the stenotrophomonas bacteria during treatment for leukemia in 2017. The deaths of Milly and other patients—including two additional children and a 73-year-old woman, Gail Armstrong—led to a corporate homicide investigation initiated in 2021. Furthermore, a separate probe into the death of a young woman who fell seriously ill seven years earlier with a likely hospital-acquired infection was opened last year.
In its final statement, NHSGGC moved away from previous claims dismissing clear links between infections and the water system. The health board indicated that it was “more likely than not” that some bloodstream infections in pediatric hemato-oncology patients from 2016 to 2018 were connected to the condition of the hospital’s water infrastructure. It acknowledged that, based on expert testimony, a “material proportion” of additional infections probably stemmed from the hospital environment. The board also reported a “steady decrease” in infections following remedial interventions on the water system. A spokesperson reiterated NHSGGC’s commitment to support the inquiry, while the Scottish government highlighted its role as an independent participant focused on providing answers and learning lessons for future hospital projects.
The personal impact of these healthcare failings is illustrated by the story of Milly Main. After a successful stem cell transplant and remission from leukemia, Milly’s Hickman line became infected, leading to toxic shock and her death in August 2017. Milly’s mother, Kimberly Darroch, has described her daughter’s death as “murder” and welcomed the health board’s admission, though she criticized the delay in acknowledging the truth. Darroch expressed relief that the health board now admits a probable causal link between the hospital environment and Milly’s bloodstream infection but emphasized the long and difficult fight families had to endure just to have their concerns recognized. Patrick McGuire, a solicitor representing several affected families, condemned the health board’s earlier conduct as “callous evasion and dishonesty” and called for accountability and an extension of the inquiry to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
Another recent development involves the death of 23-year-old Molly Cuddihy, who passed away last year in the hospital’s high dependency unit. Molly had previously testified before the Scottish Hospitals Inquiry about her challenging experiences at QEUH while undergoing chemotherapy. In 2018, she developed septic shock due to an infection contracted during cancer treatment at the hospital, which remains under scrutiny. Following complications during a hospital admission in July 2023, her death was reported to prosecutors, prompting a new investigation. NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde extended its deepest condolences to Molly’s family but declined to comment further out of respect for patient confidentiality
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