ALMOST £160,000 has been spent on private sector cleaners at Glasgow’s super-hospital to bolster the Covid effort, figures show, but workers are banned from ward areas because they could pose a risk to patients.

The health board said extra agency staff have been taken on to support enhanced cleaning through the pandemic and would "normally" working in low risk, non-clinical areas such as public toilets, main reception areas and stairwells.

According to a Freedom of Information document, this is because workers - who wear NHS uniforms - are "only required to have the basic checks completed" while while in-house staff have enhanced PVG (protecting vulnerable groups) clearance.

Figures for the past two years show NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has spent £157,000 on private sector workers as the hospital has faced intense scrutiny over a series of deadly infection outbreaks and a series of inquiries.

The board spent £32k on agency cleaners in 2018-19 and more than double last year at £78k, while it is on course to spend more this year with £47,000 paid out in six months, up to July.

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According to NHSGGC agency workers are brought in to supplement NHS staff ‘where overtime is not available.’ However staff say there are consistently told that overtime is not available.

Workers’ union Unison said the ‘unnecessary’ spend on private sector work had justified concerns it raised about staffing the single-room hospital ahead of its opening.

Claims have also surfaced that staff are not adhering to Covid safety precautions as stringently as their NHS counterparts.

NHSGGC said it was “extremely disappointed” to learn of any breaches by agency workers.

One worker said: “I was quite taken aback when I asked for overtime and was told there wasn’t any available. 

"We have agency staff cleaning the atrium and other areas when myself and other hospital domestic staff are looking for extra work. 

“It’s also very concerning to me that they have NHS uniforms just like we do but they aren’t NHS staff. 

“I was also told that the agency domestics are “to be seen” cleaning the atrium but myself and others have seen them do this without proper PPE, one wasn’t even wearing gloves which goes against infection control policy. 

“They’re not doing the job properly in my opinion, most of them wear watches or their own trousers for example.”

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Another hospital source added: “The other week I personally observed one clean a bin, bare handed, before moving on to cleaning tables. At no point did he wash his hands. He also had a watch or Fitbit on, something that’s against policy.”

Matt McLaughlin, Regional Organsier for Unison Scotland said, “In advance of opening the Queen Elizabeth, Unison and sister union expressed concern that the staffing levels for domestic staff was too low and did not properly take account of impact that single bedded rooms would have. 

“It seems that our concerns were justified. 

“This unnecessary spend in the private sector clearly shows that NHS Glasgow needs to urgently review staffing levels, recruitment and staff retention  across the Board, but especially at QEUH.”

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A spokesman for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said agency staff are supervised and added:  “NHSGGC Domestic Services staff are being recruited as part of an ongoing campaign and there are currently a number of vacancies advertised. 

“In total we have 517 Domestic Assistants employed directly by NHSGGC.

“In 2020 at QEUH alone, 64 whole time equivalent (WTE) staff were appointed to cleaning roles and alongside the wider workforce, are paid overtime to meet increased cleaning demands. For example in August, overtime hours equated to 40 (WTE). 

 “Where overtime is not possible, and where there is a spike in requirements, we employ agency staff to supplement our workforce. 

“However, it must be noted that the budget spent on agency staff over the past two years is comparatively small (currently only 16 agency staff) compared to the overall requirement for the domestic workforce across Greater Glasgow and Clyde.

“When we do use agency staff, their role is normally limited to low risk areas as this allows us to use our own trained and experienced staff to focus on areas of higher clinical risk.

“We are extremely disappointed to hear that strict adherence to guidance and training has not been consistent. 

“We will ensure that agency staff management are reminded of the high standards set by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and the requirement of all agency staff to adhere to the established guidelines.”