London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

Scottish Hospitals Inquiry to focus on ventilation

Scottish Hospitals Inquiry to focus on ventilation

A public inquiry into safety at two of Scotland's largest hospitals is set to resume.

The Scottish Hospitals Inquiry will hear evidence on the importance of ventilation systems in infection control.

It will now consider planning for Edinburgh's Royal Hospital for Children and Young People and the Department of Clinical Neurosciences in Edinburgh.

This phase will hear expert and technical evidence.

The inquiry is to establish whether patients were put at risk because of problems with the design, construction and maintenance of the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital Campus (QEUH) in Glasgow and the Edinburgh children's hospital.

Chairman Lord Brodie wants the inquiry to understand the technical requirements of ventilation in hospitals, so that it can better identify what went wrong with the systems installed at the hospitals being investigated.

The QEUH has been under scrutiny since it opened in 2015.

There have been patient deaths and a series of infections with possible links to the building.

The children's cancer wards at the QEUH were forced to close in 2018 after clusters of unusual infections were detected in children.

An expert review has already concluded that in some of the cases the source of the infections could have been the hospital's water supply and in the cases of two of the children who died, the infections were a contributory factor to their deaths.

Almost £9m has been spent upgrading the hospital's ventilation and water systems and the wards reopened again in March 2022.

Families affected gave evidence to the public inquiry last year.


'Where things went wrong'


One of those was Karen Stirrat whose son was three when he was diagnosed with a brain tumour. He was treated from February 2019 at the Royal Hospital for Children and the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.

While in Florida for proton beam therapy, she discovered her son had been given the drug Posaconazole by the Scottish hospital. She was led to believe it was part of his chemotherapy treatment but learned from American doctors that it was prescribed due to the "dirty" hospital.

Karen Stirrat believe families may find answers in the technical details


Ms Stirrat told BBC Scotland: "As much as this phase is about the technical side of it, for families like ours, that is where things went wrong.

"Some of those loved ones aren't here any more due to these technicalities. This part is crucial for us to find out what happened and who was responsible for those choices."

During the May hearing, officials will hear reports and statements from the inquiry's appointed experts.

Their evidence will be focused on technical aspects of ventilation, such as standards and guidance provided to developers working on ventilation within a hospital.

The ventilation systems installed at the Glasgow and Edinburgh hospitals will be the focus of future hearings.

Lord Brodie said: "Our forthcoming hearing will explore the required ventilation standards in a hospital setting, which will undoubtedly lead us to understand the complex challenges and specific issues of the ventilation systems at the Glasgow and Edinburgh hospitals."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×