Scotland's health secretary has said she believes infection control is good enough at a hospital where two patients died after contracting an infection linked to pigeon droppings.
Jeane Freeman has ordered a review of the design, build, handover and maintenance of the flagship £842 million Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow as investigations continue.
READ MORE: Probe launched into flagship Glasgow hospital's construction following child's death
The Cryptococcus bacteria, a fungal infection linked to pigeon droppings and soil, was found to be a contributory factor in the death of a child, while a second patient was also found to have an infection caused by inhaling the fungus Cryptococcus, although the health secretary has said it did not contribute to their death.
Pigeon droppings found in a plant room on the hospital's roof are believed to be the source of the problem and investigations are continuing to establish how the bacteria entered a closed ventilation system.
Overall infection rates @QEUH are 4% against overall Scottish rate of 4.9%. Staff work very hard to achieve this and speedily add additional protection when that’s needed. Never complacent, but all credit to our NHS staff https://t.co/lCVSK7ziqe
— Jeane Freeman (@JeaneF1MSP) January 23, 2019
The issue comes after problems with bacteria in the water supply at the adjoining Royal Hospital for Children last year which led to child cancer patients being moved.
In an interview on BBC Good Morning Scotland, Ms Freeman was asked: "Do you believe infection control is good enough at this hospital?"
She replied: "Yes I do. Yes I do and I think the statistics show that. The overall infection rate in the Queen Elizabeth is 4%, the average across Scotland is 4.9%. It is at least on par with all the other hospitals across Scotland and in fact doing a bit better.
"But infection happens in hospitals. That's why we have the Scottish Patient Safety Programme that has significantly reduced infection rates across our hospitals and healthcare settings over the last 10 years or so.
READ MORE: Patients treated for infection linked to pigeon droppings at Glasgow super hospital
"What you need to be able to do though is have those additional infection control measures to put in place as they have done at the Queen Elizabeth, with the HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) filters, with the anti-fungal protection for particularly vulnerable patients in the area where the Crypotoccocus infection was discovered."
Ms Freeman said she hopes to announce the remit of the review by the end of the week.
She could not give a timescale for how long the review will take and said that while she wants it to reach its conclusions and recommendations as quickly as possible, it needs to take long enough to ensure it is "robust".
She said: "There have been a number of instances where parts of the building, the fabric of the building, have been less than we would want it to be.
"Some of those don't directly affect patients but obviously our primary concern is that this building is, in its fabric, in its internal infrastructure, is absolutely fit for purpose, so that is why I've ordered the review and made sure that we will have independent expert advice to that review.
"It will look at everything from the design, the construction, the commissioning and the continuing maintenance to try and identify what more might need to be done to ensure that the building is fit for purpose, but also whether there are any particular lessons for us as we go on to instigate other builds of healthcare facilities across Scotland.
"The review of the Queen Elizabeth will have significant importance for all the new build that we're undertaking."
Ms Freeman came under fire for her comments from Labour shadow cabinet secretary for health Monica Lennon.
Ms Lennon tweeted a photo of a chair which had reportedly been sitting otuside the hospital "for months".
She tweeted: "This filthy chair has been sitting outside the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital for months, including during the Cabinet Secretary’s emergency visit yesterday.
"If you are at all serious about restoring public confidence please have it removed today."
Dear @NHSGGC @JeaneF1MSP
— Monica Lennon (@MonicaLennon7) January 23, 2019
This filthy chair has been sitting outside the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital for months, including during the Cabinet Secretary’s emergency visit yesterday.
If you are at all serious about restoring public confidence please have it removed today. pic.twitter.com/6TzK5IYaB8
Responding to Ms Freeman's comments on BBC Good Morning Scotland, Ms Monica Lennon said: "At the centre of this are two patients, including a child, who have died as a result of these infections so it is important the government is honest about the challenges it is facing.
"The Health Secretary says infection rates are on a par with other hospitals in Scotland, but this is supposed to be a world leading hospital. Today we see reports of furniture covered in filth at the hospital, apparently left for months - that simply should not be happening.
"The Queen Elizabeth University Hospital was an £842 million investment by the government - the fact we are now having a review into its infrastructure suggests something has gone very wrong. The review must answer honest questions about what has gone wrong here."
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