A shortage of staff at Scotland’s flagship hospital in Glasgow put it at “red risk” for patient safety, according to a damning report.
Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) also discovered hygiene and PPE issues, long waits at A&E, and even flagged up a patient being cared for in a former storeroom without appropriate equipment in place.
HIS made an unannounced visit to Glasgow’s Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in March and found that 33 wards scored a “red” staffing risk, reports The Daily Record.
The report said: “There were 33 wards across the hospital campus, scoring a nurse staffing risk rating of red at the start of the day.
"This means that nursing staff numbers or skill mix may be creating a risk to patient safety or there are issues affecting patient safety that requires immediate attention.”
Last night there were claims that the hospital was in “disarray” and a risk to lives from Labour health spokeswoman Jackie Baillie.
She said: “It’s all too clear the SNP government has entirely lost control at our flagship hospital and lives are at risk.
“The hospital is in the midst of an acute staffing crisis due to years of SNP neglect and the A&E department is in disarray.
"The staff to patient ratios are at dangerous levels and this has a direct impact on patient outcomes. Patients and staff are being failed every day but the Health Minister (Humza Yousaf) has entirely failed to act.
“Lives can’t be further risked by the intransigence and incompetence of this government.
"The government must start investing in frontline staff.”
The report said that while clinical staff and site managers had worked to try to reduce the risks, “the volume of staff absence meant that even with attempts to mitigate the risks, many clinical areas continued to score a red risk rating”.
Patient waited 17 hours in A&E
The report showed a high staff absence due to sickness and the need to self-isolate from coronavirus.
On one of the days they carried out their inspection they found one patient had waited 17 hours in A&E.
In addition to the staffing levels, the report pointed out problems in an area known as SATA for patients with respiratory symptoms.
It said: “We saw a patient being cared for in a room previously used as a storeroom that was being utilised as a patient side room.
“As this room was not designed as a patient side room, the appropriate facilities were not in place.”
It added: “We observed many patients waiting for admission being cared for on chairs in a lounge area. This was due to the demand for beds exceeding the number of available beds.
“Patients were waiting for long periods before being transferred to the appropriate care area or wards.
“Clinical staff shared concerns with our team on the level of care that could be provided in these areas, as they were not designed to accommodate patients for long periods of time.”
'High admiration for staff'
The report, however, did accept multidisciplinary staff in clinical areas were working hard to ensure patients were well cared for and that the “majority of patients we spoke with described the care they received as very good, with high admiration for the staff delivering the care”.
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde boss Jane Grant said: “Despite unprecedented pressure at a time where staff were looking after around 700 Covid patients, including one third in QEUH alone, staff continued to show the utmost professionalism and compassion in treating patients, while also working exceptionally well with each other to make very tough decisions on an hourly basis.
“However, we accept there were also some improvements which could be made in some areas of the hospital.
“As such, we can confirm we have now acted upon all of these, with improvements either complete or with an ongoing monitoring plan in place.”
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “We’re pleased HIS inspectors found staff worked well together and delivered good care.
“Where areas for improvement were highlighted, we are pleased to see work to address these has been completed or is under way.”
