Latest news with #QEUH
Daily Record
3 days ago
- Health
- Daily Record
NHS chiefs gave £250k bonus to firm behind infection scandal QEUH hospital
Brookfield Multiplex, which is now being sued by NHS Greater Glasgow, was awarded the huge sum for making the hospital environmentally friendly. Health chiefs gave a £250,000 eco-bonus to a firm it is now suing over its defective superhospital. NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) paid Brookfield Multiplex for achieving certain environmental credentials at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH), despite the site being riddled with problems. A public inquiry is looking at issues with the construction of the £842million facility where dozens of patients developed rare infections and some people died. Evidence heard by the inquiry showed a £250,000 payment was included in the contract if the developers hit energy consumption targets, known as 'Breeam'. The QEUH was given a Breeam rating of 'excellent' when it was finished, meeting the UK-wide government aim at the time. Louise Slorance's government advisor husband Andrew died while awaiting a bone marrow transplant in 2020. She said: 'Families have suffered harm and death as a result of substandard systems at the QEUH. 'The realisation the lives of our loved ones were worth just £250,000 is yet another gut punch.' To meet their targets contractors used a temperature control system called chilled beams. Specialist healthcare architect Emma White described it as 'a more innovative and sustainable way of cooling rooms which required less energy…'. The inquiry previously heard these chilled beams developed a problem with leaking and water ended up dripping into wards. NHSGGC is suing Brookfield Multiplex for the flaws at the site with £18.2million added to their compensation claim for problems with the chilled beam system. Documents submitted by White showed contractors also agreed having an air circulation rate required by healthcare watchdogs was 'energy intensive and not necessary'. Dozens of patients were infected with water-related and airborne bugs at the QEUH. Some died including Milly Main, 10, and Gail Armstrong, 73, whose deaths are being probed by the police. NHSGGC is a suspect in the corporate homicide probe into their deaths and the deaths of two other patients. Louise said: 'Despite some witnesses stating green standards were not prioritised over patient safety, our experience tells a different story. "Sealed windows, low air turnovers and temperature control units using water were chosen for their environmental credentials yet they negatively impacted on the safety of our family members. Some never saw outside the hospital again and for others, the harm continues to this day.' Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said: 'The deaths at the QEUH are the worst scandal in the history of devolution and it is outrageous that the contractors behind the building were rewarded for their failure. These payments make it clear the management of this project was utterly dysfunctional from day one and building safety was not made a priority. 'There can be no more secrecy and cover-up from the SNP – bereaved families and the Scottish public deserve to know the truth.' NHSGGC said matters relating to QEUH's construction are 'part of the Scottish Hospitals Inquiry and we continue to support them in their ongoing investigations'. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
Daily Record
4 days ago
- Health
- Daily Record
Glasgow Queen Elizabeth hospital had most Covid deaths probed by Crown Office
Prosecutors are probing the deaths at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital as part of a wider investigation from the pandemic. A Glasgow flagship hospital had the highest number of Covid deaths probed by the Crown Office, it has been revealed. Prosecutors are probing the deaths at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital as part of a wider investigation from the pandemic. As well as hospital settings, care homes are also being looked into. NHS Glasgow Greater Glasgow and Clyde have been warned that it has questions to answer about why such a significant number of Covid deaths are being probed at its hospitals. A total of 133 cases are still being looked at - a 43% of the entire total. Louise Slorance, whose husband Andrew died at the QEUH in 2020 after contracting Covid during cancer treatment, is still seeking answers from the health board about his death. She blames them for him catching the disease despite being in isolation. She wrote on X: "COPFS Covid deaths investigation team (CDIT) statistics on COVID deaths in hospitals offer some important insights, namely on our largest health board, NHS GGC & the effectiveness of @scotgov flagship super hospital, the QEUH. 43% of the death investigations being carried out by CDIT are in NHS GGC hospitals. "30% of these deaths occurred at the QEUH. The QEUH has just 22% of GGC's bed capacity. The disproportionate nature of QEUH COVID deaths is only exacerbated when you consider this is a single bedded hospital. As the Project Director for the #QEUH told the @ScotHospInquiry last week single rooms are the optimum for stopping the transfer of infection. "Single bedrooms alone should have led to lower nosocomial COVID infection. Add in state of the art facilities (that's what we were told, not what was provided) & COVID mitigations, the expectation must be a lower rate than other older hospitals & the lowest across Scotland. "Yet here we are with Scotland's flagship QEUH hospital with the highest number of COVID deaths reported to COPFS and, CDIT investigations second only to another GGC ran hospital the GRI. Explanations must be provided for this anomaly." NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said: "We would like to offer our condolences to the loved ones of any patient who has died. As well as looking after a core population of more than 1.3 million, hospitals across NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde offer a range of highly specialised regional and national services for people throughout Scotland. "This means that a high proportion of the sickest patients in the country are treated at our hospitals, and we would like to thank our highly skilled and dedicated staff who do all they can to care for these patients in challenging circumstances. "Latest Hospital Standardised Mortality Ratio figures from Public Health Scotland show that, despite looking after this high concentration of the most vulnerable patients, NHSGGC has the lowest crude mortality rate of any health board in Scotland outside NHS Shetland. "Any suggestion that COVID deaths at our hospitals could be attributed to any issues with the standard of care, without taking into account this high concentration of these most vulnerable patients, would be inaccurate and misleading, as well as being insulting and upsetting for our hard-working staff."
Telegraph
23-05-2025
- Telegraph
Man armed with crossbow bursts into hospital
Armed police raced to a hospital on Friday after a man entered the building armed with a crossbow. Police were alerted to the incident in the atrium of Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow at around 6.30am. Specialist firearms officers were among those dispatched to the scene, but police confirmed the weapon had not been fired and there were no injuries. A 29-year-old man has been arrested. The atrium of the hospital was closed for a 'short time' and traffic was temporarily diverted around the hospital, but a spokesman for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) said there was no disruption to services. The hospital is now open as normal. Police said inquiries into the incident are ongoing. Inspector Alyssa Fullelove-McCann said: 'I'm aware this incident will be concerning but I'd like to provide reassurance that it is being treated as isolated and there is no ongoing risk to the public. 'Officers will remain in the area while inquiries are carried out and anyone with concerns or information can speak to them, or call 101.' A spokesman for NHSGGC said: 'We can confirm we supported police with an incident in the atrium of the QEUH this morning. 'The atrium was closed for a short time while this was dealt with, and traffic around the hospital was temporarily diverted. There was no disruption to any of our services and the hospital is now open as normal. 'We would like to thank our security teams for their handling of this incident before officers arrived.'
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Grandmother arrested at abortion clinic warns of expanding free speech 'buffer zones'
A grandmother in the U.K. who was arrested for holding a sign outside an abortion clinic is sounding the alarm against further attacks on free speech as lawmakers move to expand so-called "buffer zones" outside such facilities. Rose Docherty, 74, was arrested in Glasgow, Scotland near the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH) in February for holding a sign that read: "Coercion is a crime, here to talk if you want." Docherty was the first person to be arrested and charged under the Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) Act, which went into effect in September, the BBC reported. The law prohibits any protests or vigils from taking place within 200m or 656ft of 30 clinics offering abortion services in Scotland, but the law specifies that the Safe Access Zone could be extended if considered appropriate. Docherty's arrest came just days after Vice President JD Vance highlighted the law as an example of free speech being under attack in the U.K. Uk Woman Threatened With Fine For Praying Within Abortion Facility's 'Buffer Zone:' ' Grossly Orwellian' Read On The Fox News App Now, Gillian Mackay, the Green Party parliamentarian responsible for introducing the buffer zones legislation, has now suggested that the Scottish government consider expanding the area of prohibition on "influence" outside hospitals, according to ADF International, a Christian legal advocacy group. Docherty has rejected a formal warning from the Crown Office - arguing that it was "unjust" - and is waiting to find out what action may now be taken against her. In her first broadcast interview since her arrest, she told the BBC she had "no reason to regret" the incident, noting it was an "alarming" and "surreal" experience. She said she had read the law and believed her actions did not violate the legislation. "I gave consideration to what I was doing…I looked at the law and saw what it said I couldn't do, and thought, OK, well, this is what I can do…I can offer to listen, and if anyone wants to come and speak to me, they can do so, only if they want to come and speak with me," she told BBC's Scotcast. She said she is prepared to go to prison over the offense. Docherty has also said that the government essentially wants to stamp out any opposition to abortion. "I believe it wouldn't matter where we stood…it wouldn't matter how far they pushed the 'buffer zone,'" she told ADF International, a Christian legal advocacy group. New Online 'Misinformation' Bill Slammed As 'Biggest Attack' On Freedoms In Australia "It wouldn't matter where we stood –201 meters, or 500 meters away – it seems the authorities would still try to crack down harshly and unfairly on individuals because the government simply disagree with their point of view. This is unjust – of course, there should be laws against harassment, and we all condemn such behavior. But merely offering conversations near a hospital is not a crime." Dr Greg Irwin, a doctor at the QEUH, was pictured confronting a group of protesters in February 2023, saying that they "cause emotional upset to patients, but also to staff members," per the BBC. Groups have been protesting outside the hospital for 10 years, leading to the passing of the Safe Access Zones Act. Mackay said patients and staff had told her that they still had to pass the protesters when attending the QEUH leading to distress. "I think it's appropriate that we take those concerns seriously and the government take a look at whether an extension is appropriate or not," Mackay told the BBC. The act allows ministers to extend the size of a buffer zone if it is decided that the existing zone is not adequate, a Scottish government spokesperson told the outlet. Docherty isn't the first person to be arrested outside abortion facilities. For instance, Isabel Vaughan-Spruce, a prominent pro-life activist, was arrested twice in Birmingham for silently praying without any signs near an abortion facility within a buffer zone. She was arrested under a local law known as a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO). She was later awarded $13,000 in compensation for wrongful arrests, according to Christian Today. The U.K. has drawn international attention for its alleged clampdown on free speech. A number of people have been investigated and arrested for social media article source: Grandmother arrested at abortion clinic warns of expanding free speech 'buffer zones'
Glasgow Times
26-04-2025
- Health
- Glasgow Times
Government must consider expanding hospital buffer zone, MSP says
The Scottish Government must consider expanding the size of the buffer zone around a hospital where anti-abortion demonstrations are banned, the MSP behind the legislation has said. Gillian Mackay said protesters have been gathering just outside the 200m exclusion zone around the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH) in Glasgow. The Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) (Scotland) Bill came into effect in September and creates areas around medical facilities where terminations are performed, to stop anti-abortion protesters gathering. The legislation was introduced by Ms Mackay, a Green MSP, and is designed to protect women from harassment. It contains a provision to extend the size of the buffer zones if it is deemed proportionate. Ms Mackay said: 'Safe access zones were introduced to protect patients and staff at our hospitals, and, for the most part, that is what they are doing. 'But at QEUH we have seen protests continuing on one of the main entry routes to the hospital. 'The QEUH in Glasgow has quite unique challenges due to its location compared to other hospitals. 'From the correspondence that I and others have received, there are concerns about the patients and staff having no choice but to pass the protests.' A Scottish Government spokesperson said: 'The Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) (Scotland) Act allows ministers to extend the size of a zone if it is considered necessary to protect those accessing or providing services from impacts prohibited under the Act. 'However, before taking such a step, it is essential that ministers are satisfied such an extension is appropriate. 'We take Ms Mackay's comments extremely seriously and will discuss the matter further with the relevant Health Board as an immediate next step.'
