Bosses of QEUH 'still failing whistleblowers' after infection scandal

Scotland’s largest health board is failing to handle concerns of safety risks at a hospital where patients became infected with rare bugs.The Independent National Whistleblowing Officer (INWO) watchdog found NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde had failed to create a culture where staff could voice their concerns and act upon them.It also found evidence of frayed relationships between teams, particularly when it came to sharing details about patient safety risks and whistleblowers who said they were less likely to raise the alarm again.INWO launched a probe following a whistleblower complaint about how their concerns about the scandal-hit Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH) campus were handled.The £842million QEUH in Glasgow is at the centre of a public inquiry after dozens of patients – mainly children with cancer – got infected with rare bacteria and fungi while at the site.NHSGGC has also been named as a suspect in a corporate homicide probe into the deaths of four patients at the facility.

INWO’s report said there were issues between certain QEUH teams that “relate clearly to the sharing and management of information around potential patient safety risks”.The watchdog looked at whether the health board had created a culture where staff felt able to speak up.The report said: “Evidence I reviewed during my investigation indicates the culture and communication between the teams is extremely strained, with distrust on both sides…”Whistleblowers were also found to have “less confidence the organisation would take steps to protect either those raising concerns or those impacted by the concerns raised” and “were also less likely to raise concerns through the formal process now.”An INWO survey of staff at the health board