Scotland's flagship hospital is already mired in controversy over the safety of patients but now staff shortages are putting even more people at risk.
The Scottish Hospitals Inquiry is still taking evidence on the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital to determine how the adequacy of ventilation and water contamination impacted on patient care and if deaths could have been prevented.
But now Healthcare Improvement Scotland has shown there are other immediate risks to patient health because there are not enough nurses.
Just two months ago, HIS made an unannounced visit to the hospital and found staffing levels on 33 wards so low that there was a real risk to patient safety.
Levels were at “red risk” – the most serious level.
As well as dangerous staffing levels, there was a lack of PPE and hand hygiene basins in some areas.
They found a patient being cared for in a former store room as well as patients waiting up to 17 hours in A&E.
NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde have insisted they have addressed all the matters raised in the HIS report and we can only hope that what they say is true.
The patients in the QEUH have had to put up with a catalogue of problems since the hospital opened its doors and these latest damning revelations will do little to restore patient confidence.
It is time the Health Secretary took urgent steps to ensure the staffing levels are never compromised in this way again and that hygiene and PPE issues are addressed immediately.
After more than two years of dealing with the Covid pandemic, surely we should not still be struggling for these basic necessities to ensure safe and appropriate care of our most vulnerable people.
Pride of Scotland
Nicola Sturgeon was right to tell MSPs yesterday that Rangers had done Scotland proud.
The SNP leader paid tribute to the Ibrox club, praising their achievement in reaching the Europa League Final.
Gers fans will still be feeling the heartache of Wednesday night’s agonising defeat in Seville.
But whatever happened on the park, the Rangers fans were certainly the winners off the park.
They received deserved credit from Spanish authorities for their behaviour.
Around 100,000 of the Rangers faithful were in the Spanish city yet no arrests were made.
When the feelings of disappointment recede, Rangers fans will be able to look back with pride at the efforts of their team.
But they’ll also be able to pat themselves on the back for showing that loyalty to your team doesn’t have to spill out into tribal violence.
They really were simply the best...behaved.
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