GLASGOW’S health board could begin a legal challenge next month against a government ruling that ventilation in the city’s super-hospital put cancer patients at risk of infection.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) issued NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) with an improvement notice in December last year that was critical of the air quality in ward 4C of the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, which treats kidney transplant and cancer patients, in December 2019.

The board is to appeal the improvement notice, arguing that it is a general ward which does not require specialist ventilation. It has said that any patients deemed high risk would be cared for in a neighbouring ward fitted with Hepa filters.

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Lawyers representing the health board and the HSE were scheduled to meet next week but this has now been postponed till later in the month when it will be decided if an employment tribunal will be held.

A number of separate inquiries are ongoing after infections led to patient deaths.
NHSGGC has said a £73million legal case against the QEUH builders will get underway in early 2021.

Official documents state it is planning a “robust” case against Multiplex and the board’s own advisors, Currie & Brown UK Limited, Capita Property and Infrastructure Limited. 

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A spokeswoman for the HSE said: “We will continue to work with Greater Glasgow Health Board over the matters we have identified as requiring improvement, and are supporting the forthcoming public inquiry.” 

A board spokesman added: “A date for the appeal, which was paused due to the impact of COVID-19, is to be confirmed.