A major health board has acknowledged that issues with its water system likely resulted in a fatal infection in a young cancer patient at a prominent hospital. Milly Main, a 10-year-old being treated for leukemia at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow, passed away after contracting a rare bacterium, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, on August 31, 2017.
The family suspects that the contamination from the hospital’s water was responsible for infecting the line delivering medication into Milly’s body. While NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde had previously denied any link between water-borne bacteria and patient infections, they have now conceded that a significant portion of bloodstream infections between 2016 and 2018 may have originated from the hospital water system.
In a significant reversal, the health board admitted a probable causal relationship between patient infections and the hospital environment, particularly the water system, after reviewing expert testimonies. NHSGGC expressed its support for the inquiry, while the Scottish Government refrained from making any comments, citing the ongoing investigation into alleged errors during the hospital campus construction following the unexpected deaths of four patients.
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar welcomed this change in stance, urging for a wider investigation into corporate homicide that extends to politicians accused of concealing facts. Sarwar proposed Milly’s Law, aiming to establish an independent public advocate to investigate incidents and uncover truths, emphasizing the struggles families faced in seeking transparency regarding hospital incidents.
Describing the QEUH scandal as one of the most severe failures in modern Scottish public life, Sarwar highlighted a series of issues plaguing the hospital since its inception, including water safety concerns, governance lapses, and devastating infections. Dr. Sandesh Gulhane MSP, the Scottish Conservative health secretary, echoed the sentiment, pointing to a culture of secrecy and cover-up at the hospital’s highest levels, necessitating a prolonged quest for accountability by affected families.
NHSGGC reiterated its commitment to supporting the inquiry, while the Scottish government, as an independent core participant, vowed to cooperate with the investigation to address families’ queries and learn lessons for future healthcare projects.