Statement from Jeane Freeman, Cabinet Secretary, Scottish Government
Families deserve to have confidence that the places they take their children to be cared for are as safe as they possibly can be. That means their engagement with their Health Board must be open, honest, and rooted in evidence.
This is even more important in the tragic circumstances where a child’s life is lost. It is, in my view, simply cruel for the grief of a parent to be compounded by a lack of clear answers.
So I again offer my sincere apologies to the parents affected for their loss and to all the parents affected by the circumstances we are discussing for the additional burden of worry, uncertainty and anxiety they have faced.
I want now to set out the action and steps we are taking to give parents, families and patients the answers they legitimately seek and to, step by step ensure that we are working on evidenced data, putting in place all the required infection prevention and control measures and by doing so secure the confidence of clinical teams, patients and families.
All of this immediate work is set against the backdrop of both the Independent Review I commissioned in January, and the wider statutory public inquiry I announced in September.”
Escalation to Stage 4
On 22 November we escalated NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde to Stage 4 for infection prevention and control and engagement and information with patients and families.
Level 4 brings direct oversight and engagement from Scottish Government to the operation of Queen Elizabeth University Hospital and Royal Hospital for Children. We have set up an Oversight Board, reporting to the CEO of NHS Scotland and to me and chaired by Professor Fiona McQueen, our Chief Nursing Officer. The Oversight Board will:
Ensure improvements to the systems, processes and governance in relation to infection prevention, management and control;
Ensure improvements to the associated communication and public engagement issues;
Ensure improvement to appropriate governance processes at the Board; and
Ensure the rebuilding of public confidence and strengthen the approaches that are in place to mitigate avoidable harms.
Working to the Oversight Board we have 3 groups – on infection prevention and control led by Irene Barkby, the Executive Lead for Healthcare Associated Infections from NHS Lanarkshire; on communication and engagement, led by Professor Craig White who has been working directly with families since October following my meetings with some of the families. Family representatives are also part of this group.
The third group will consider any technical issues required.
Professor White has also now written to 400 parents of children seen by the Paediatric Haemato-Oncology Service to hear directly from them on their experience of communication and engagement with the board and this statement today, and any future statements together with updates on the progress of the Oversight Board, will be made available to them.
Levels of Infection
An essential and early part of the Oversight Board’s work is to understand the levels of infection and review all the available information from all sources on case numbers. This work is complex, it needs to be reviewed and, of course, validated.
On 26th November Health Protection Scotland published its review of datasets for the years 2013-19. The report confirmed a higher number of certain infections in 2017, 2018 and 2019, but concluded that the current levels of infection are returning to normal. For the most recent months of October and November 2019 the level of Gram-negative bloodstream infections has been below the current average.
We also instructed NHSGGC to provide the total number of patients with positive Gram-negative blood samples within the Paediatric Haemato-Oncology unit since the Royal Hospital for Children opened in 2015. The focus has been on infections which are associated with water and the environment, particularly those associated with environmental organisms – in Wards 2A and 2B in the Royal Hospital Children, and Ward 6A in the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
This data will be subject to an expert led case by case review to consider the decisions taken on healthcare acquired or community acquired infection designation, reporting, action taken and information shared and with whom.
Anas Sarwar previously brought to the chamber’s attention a number of locally-commissioned reports by Glasgow’s health Board. I want to thank Mr Sarwar for bringing these reports to my attention. Two of the reports were by a private company – called DMA – in 2015 and 2017. I can confirm that these were commissioned by the Board but were not provided to the Scottish Government at the time of their commencement or their completion.
The Health Protection Scotland review we commissioned into the water contamination incident in 2018 reflected the understanding of the issues and the Board produced ‘a detailed action plan addressing all points identified’.
The Board’s action plan was published in February 2019 and the actions taken include installation of a chemical dosing plant to treat the water systems and reduce the risk of possible contamination.
I expect the Oversight Board to fully consider all locally-commissioned reports as part of its work. We need to understand what has been reported and what action has been taken.
Some of this work may take some time to be completed, but I am adamant that we need to move forward with action now.
I recently met with a number of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde clinicians who have raised concerns. Our NHS should be celebrated and its staff work hard to care for the people of Scotland each and every day. Their service is remarkable.
I found their insights to be incredibly helpful in shaping the actions we are now taking. I want to thank them not only for making their concerns known, for persisting in following their professional responsibilities but also to thank them for accepting my invitation to continue to work with us to consider the evidence we have, the decisions taken and the steps needed to resolve the outstanding issues.
In addition, we will be writing to each of the individual families, setting out the arrangements that will be put in place to review individual cases and how families who wish to be involved in these reviews can do so.
Antibiotic Prophylaxis
Concern has been raised about the use of antibiotic prophylaxis and anti-fungal drugs with this patient cohort. The Oversight Board tasked one of its members – Dr Andrew Murray, the co-chair of the Managed Clinical Network for Children’s Cancer Services Scotland – to meet with a multi-disciplinary team of senior clinicians for a clinician-led review of the use of these medicines on 6 December.
The frontline team has confirmed to Dr Murray that the use of antibiotic prophylaxis is being tailored to the needs of each individual patient and that families will be fully informed on their use and why.
External Assessment of Action
Ordinarily, the clinical lead on infection prevention and control matters is a Board’s medical director with the support of others, such as the estates department. However, as a result of considering all of these issues I have outlined today I think that we can only begin to restore trust by taking significant additional steps.
That’s why I have asked Professor Marion Bain, former Medical Director of NHS National Services Scotland, to take over the responsibility for the systems and processes for infection prevention and control within NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.
We will also have a senior clinician in infection control and prevention, external to NHS Scotland, who will provide an independent expert assessment of the actions we are taking.
They will also review the infection data and help to validate it. They will report to the Oversight Board and provide an external assurance that the actions that are being taken are effective and appropriate.
Action From the Board
This morning, I again met with the Board of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. The Board is in no doubt how seriously this Government takes these issues and the safety of care, the importance of transparency and rigour in these matters, and the actions I require from them to restore and rebuild confidence.
Andrew Moore, the Head of Excellence in Care from Healthcare Improvement Scotland as well as Angela O’Neill, the Deputy Nurse Director in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde have been appointed to ensure the actions identified by the Oversight Board are actually fully implemented.
Public Inquiry
Lastly, members will also be aware of my decision to announce a statutory public inquiry to examine issues at the QEUH and the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People in Edinburgh to ensure that all lessons are learnt to stop this happening again. I have appointed the Right Honourable Lord Brodie QC PC as Chair. Terms of reference are being set and will be shared with the families in the New Year.
Conclusion
Families deserve confidence in their services and deserve answers. I have outlined a significant level of intervention within the operation of the QEUH to ensure these issues are dealt with thoroughly and quickly.
I will keep parliament updated on the progress of the Oversight Board and their findings. I know, like me, it’s the overriding concern of all members of this chamber that where our NHS falls short of the expectations we have for it that we move robustly to address them.
26th November 2019: An HPS report, made public on 26 November reveals no single source of infection across the hospital and infection rates comparable with other units across the country and confirms findings from internal investigations that the water at Royal Hospital for Children and the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital is safe to use as a result, and coupled with the findings from internal investigations, Ward 6A reopens to new admissions. See Statement to parents from Jane Grant, Chief Executive.
22nd November 2019: NHSGGC escalated to stage four of NHS Board Performance Escalation in relation to process and governance on infection prevention, management and control. See Media Statement on escalation lines.
August 2019: Patients in Ward 6A prescribed prophylactic antibiotics as precautionary measure as environmental testing of the ward takes place in relation to an increase in infections. Testing concludes no link to ward environment and decision taken to review prophylaxis measures. HEPA filters installed in ensuite bathrooms as precaution. See Media Statement (2nd December 2019).
26th September 2018: Following the completion of the investigations in 2018, extensive remedial work was undertaken to mitigate the level of risk in the environment and the water supply. Patients from Wards 2A and 2B were temporarily moved to Ward 6A and 4B of Queen Elizabeth University Hospital Work (see letter to parents/and media statement). Precautionary measures implemented on the ward included the installation of a water treatment system, as well as point of use filters on water outlets being installed in areas with immuno-compromised patients.
September 2018: Investigations and testing identified widespread contamination of the water system. Control measures were implemented included sanitisation of the water supply to Ward 2A, installation of point of use filters in wash hand basins and showers in Wards 2A and 2B and other areas where patients were considered high risk. Drain decontamination was undertaken. (See Media Statement)
June 2018: A cluster of infections led to an Incident Management Team (IMT) investigation which highlighted a possible link between water contamination and infections on wards 2A / 2B. At this point NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) requested the support of both Health Facilities Scotland (HFS) and Health Protection Scotland (HPS) to help investigate potential contamination of the water system at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH) and the Royal Hospital for Children (RHC). As a result of those investigations, the existence of the 2015 and 2017 technical water reports were made apparent to the Board. These were taken into account when determining the action required. View the HPS Report (22nd Feb 2019).
January 2018: A case of an unusual organism found in January prompted further investigation. Water testing of multiple outlets within Ward 2A was undertaken which revealed contamination. To address this, and as part of our established infection management process, we conducted further investigations to identify the measures required to mitigate against a number of potential contamination mechanisms. Point of use filters installed on taps and showers were installed and bottled water was provided to staff in affected wards.
August 2017: Following the tragic deaths of two children on Wards 2A and 2B, a full investigation took place, the outcome of which was shared with the families. At this point, more than 100 samples of the water were taken to test for bacteria which may have caused the infection – all samples tested negative for Stenotrophomonas. Sadly, in the same month another patient also passed away. The cases were also found not to be linked.
2017: A second report on the quality of the water in 2017 raised concerns but this too was not escalated to either the senior leadership team or the Board at that time. A review of the governance processes within the Estates and Facilities Directorate has subsequently been undertaken by the new Director, and actions have put in place to ensure this never happens again.
April 2015: When the new hospital first opened in 2015, initial technical reports on the water supply were not reported by the external advisors to the Board’s senior leadership team, neither were they escalated by the managers in the Estates and Facilities team who received this report. There was no knowledge at Board level of any problem with the water in the new hospitals.
(Content first published in January 2020)
Statement from John Brown, Chairman, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde
On behalf of the Board, I offer condolences to the families who have lost a child. We are very sorry that in these tragic circumstances our failure to fully respond to their concerns has added to their distress.
I also want to apologise to all the families receiving care or being monitored by our clinicians in the Paediatric Haemato-Oncology Service for the anxiety caused by the move from the Royal Hospital Children to Ward 6A in the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.
We fully accept that we must improve the flow of information and our engagement with parents and ensure families are fully supported when a patient suffers an infection.
At a time when parents most require to have faith and trust in the NHS, we have lost the confidence of families and we deeply regret that.
We are fully committed to do all we can to re-build that confidence.
We will do this by working with the Oversight Board to introduce the new arrangements described in the Cabinet Secretary’s statement to the Parliament.
This will help us address the issues affecting the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital and the Royal Hospital for Children in a more open and transparent manner.
(Content first published in January 2020)
Jane Grant, Chief Executive
Statement from Jane Grant, Chief Executive, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde
We know that some families have concerns about protecting their children from infection while at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital and the Royal Hospital for Children. I am truly sorry that parents remain concerned and I am absolutely committed to ensuring families are provided with the information they need and deserve.
Bringing together information and background to the issues is part of this determination which is underpinned by our NHS Values, particularly ‘openness, honesty and responsibility’.
The Chairman and I have recently met some of the families affected. This was really helpful in terms of understanding what we need to do to address their concerns and what we need to think about for the future. The families told us they found it really helpful too so I would encourage any parent who remains concerned about the quality of care their child has received to contact me directly to arrange a meeting.
To continue to improve how we engage with families we are working with Professor Craig White who has been appointed by the Cabinet Secretary as point of liaison with families.
The Cabinet Secretary for Health, Jeanne Freeman MSP, has appointed an Oversight Board, chaired by Professor Fiona McQueen, Chief Nursing Officer, to ensure appropriate governance is in place to increase public confidence in infection control and in our engagement with families.
We welcome the additional support offered and are committed to working closely with the Scottish Government to implement any recommended additional changes and enhancements across infection control and associated engagement.
Since the move to Ward 6A and 4B in September 2018, infection rates have been similar to other Scottish paediatric units. This unit is the only one in Scotland that carries out allergenic bone marrow transplants for children that are so sick they need a whole bone marrow transplant. Our dedicated colleagues on Ward 6A offer exceptional care that is always patient-centred and they have been entirely committed throughout this difficult period to ensuring the safety and quality of care of the children.
To support them to continue to offer this care we have fully tested the water supply and ward surfaces in Ward 6A and also reviewed individual infections and found no links between individual infections and no source of infections in the ward.
Families should be reassured that infection rates at present are within expected levels and the hospital is safe.
I am confident that the improvements we have already started, both to the building and to our processes, will help to reassure our communities that the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital and Royal Hospital for Children are safe, and that NHSGGC staff are determined to provide the best care possible, both for our children and for anyone who needs our services.
On behalf of myself, the Board and the Chairman I would like to acknowledge our thanks to all staff who have worked so hard throughout this difficult time and have continued to provide excellent care to children and families.
Closed Ward 6A Facebook Group
We have created a closed Facebook group for Ward 6A, intended to create a space for information to be shared by parents, families and staff.
This is a new approach to engaging with parents and families and we welcome your feedback and any suggestions for how we make this work for you.
We look forward to working together to enhance communications and information sharing.
HAI Reports
NHSGGC fully complies with the national guidance for managing HAIs (Healthcare Associated Infections) which includes a structured and transparent approach for reporting incidents including:
All Red and Amber incidents are reported to HPS asap using the mandatory HIIORT template, which is updated following each IMT meeting and submitted to Health Protection Scotland (HPS).
All outbreaks and incidents scoring amber or red are as appropriate either reported or discussed with Directors, the Infection Prevention and Control Committees, the sector/directorate leads at the Acute Clinical Governance meeting.
All incidents and outbreaks that are assessed as red or amber are reported verbally by the Board Medial Director at the NHS Board Meeting. Details of these incidents and outbreaks are also reported in the HAIRT. This report is published before the meeting of the Board on the NHSGGC website. In addition a report of the business of the Board meeting is published following each meeting.
Go to the HAI reports using the following link: HAI Report
Letters and update briefings to Parents
The NHSGGC Chairman and Chief Executive have already met with a number of families and they were told that this direct engagement was extremely valuable.
We continue to offer this opportunity to all 400 families involved with Ward 6A.
We want to work with parents to improve how we communicate with them and we are being supported in this by Professor Craig White who has been appointed by the Cabinet Secretary as point of liaison with families.
The information published below sets out the letters and briefings that have been provided to the families as part of our ongoing communications with them.
26-11-2021 – Statement in response to remarks in Parliament and in the media
We are sure that you will be aware of recent claims in Parliament and negative stories in the media, and we know that this is bound to be distressing and worrying for you, as it is for our staff.
However, despite the inflammatory claims that have been made, we would like to reassure you that our priority is the safety, care and wellbeing of our young patients and their families.
All our wards offer a safe clinical environment, where your child continues to receive the very best care from highly skilled, experienced and dedicated staff.
As you would expect, our focus is on providing your child with the best possible care, and we are constantly reviewing our care, treatment, processes and procedures with a view to continually improving the environment in which our young patients are cared for.
You can have confidence that we will never waver from that commitment to your child.
We will keep you updated if this issue develops further but, as ever, if you have any questions, about your child’s care or any other issues which might concern you, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Patient confidentiality comes under Data Protection and Privacy laws and regulations which comply with the Data Protection Act 2018 along with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). You can find out more about how we use and protect our patients’ data on our Data Protection and Privacy page.
The report provides reassurance for the many families and the public who will have had concerns about the safety of the unit.
The purpose of the Health Protection Scotland report was to independently assess rates of infection in the Haemato-Oncology Unit of the RHC over a number of years to help inform NHSGGC investigations into recent infections at the hospital and potential links between these infections and the ward.
The report considered six years of laboratory data during which period the unit has seen more than a thousand patients with 2,894 admissions.
The report’s findings are fully in keeping with our own Incident Management Team investigations that concluded the unit is safe.
We have fully tested the water supply and ward surfaces in Ward 6A and also reviewed individual infections and found no links between individual infections and no source of infections in the ward.
On the basis of the IMT investigation’s findings and the results from the Health Protection Scotland review, the ward has re-opened to new patient admissions.
These pages are a resource for parents and carers and will continue to be updated and enhanced through ongoing engagement with parents and carers.
If you have any questions or if you have suggestions regarding further content to be included on these pages, please contact us using the following email: ward6a-4b@nhsggc.org.uk
(Content first published in January 2020)
The Haemato-Oncology Team provide expert care and specialist treatment to babies, children and young people with a range of serious conditions related to blood disorders and cancer. Patients are cared for in an inpatient, day care and outpatient setting.
Inpatient and day care services are currently being delivered in Wards 6A and 4B in the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH). The team will relocate back to Wards 2A & 2B in the adjacent Royal Hospital for Children (RHC) when the ongoing refurbishment programme is complete.
Outpatient care continues to be delivered in the main outpatient department within the RHC and there has been no change to this.
As a team, they aim to provide not only excellent standards of clinical treatment for every patient and their family but also that vital level of care and support that is so valuable to patients and families as they work through the physical, emotional and psychological challenges of what may be one of the most difficult periods in their lives.
Our team is made up of many different groups of people including; Nurses, Doctors, Pharmacists, Psychologists, Dietitians, Physiotherapists and Play Specialists, all working towards the common goal of supporting patients and families.
Our Estates and Facilities colleagues provide excellent support in ensuring our wards are cleaned and maintained to a high standard. Our dedicated catering support work hard at ensuring a range of nutritional options for children of all ages and will respond to individual requests where possible, recognising that appetites may come and go whilst children are unwell and undergoing treatments.
About the wards
Ward 4B
Ward 4B is a 24 bedded inpatient ward in the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital. The ward is used by the national adult stem cell transplant service and has the appropriate ventilation and other infection control functions for such a specialist client group of patients.
The transfer of paediatric haematology oncology services from RHC to the QEUH included the national paediatric stem cell service. These patients could not have had their treatment in Ward 6A, so agreement was reached for 4 cubicles in Ward 4B to be used for duration of transfer for this type of patient.
This arrangement has allowed the paediatric stem cell transplant service to continue treating their patients under the terms of its commissioning agreement. Noting this was going to be paediatric activity ongoing in an adult clinical setting, special arrangements were put in place including the 4 cubicles being clustered together.
The nursing care for these patients is provided from the paediatric haematology oncology group based in Ward 6a. Nurses working in Ward 4B are managed day to day by the SCN / nurse in charge based in Ward 6A.
As a footnote, when Ward 6A had restrictions on new admissions and certain type of inpatient chemotherapy treatment, Ward 4B was used to reduce the number of patients who were transferred to other units.
To allow for this, the number of cubicles allocated to the paediatric haematology oncology service in this ward was extended. This was on a needs basis and under criteria that neither the adult or paediatric stem cell services were compromised.
Ward 6A has had no admission restrictions since 21st November 2019 and from then the use of Ward 4B has reverted back to 4 cubicles solely used by the national paediatric transplant stem cell service.
Ward 6A
In the RHC paediatric haematology oncology services are delivered from Wards 2A and 2B. Ward 2A is a 26 bed inpatient area while ward 2B is an 12 space day care facility.
While these wards are predominantly used by children and young people with cancer, there will also be patients treated with immunology or benign haematology conditions.
In September 2019 all services from these two Wards were temporarily transferred to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.
The remaining services were transferred to Ward 6A which has 26 cubicle spaces.
16 of these cubicle spaces are used for inpatient stays while 10 are used for ongoing day care treatment. There is flexibility for either to go up and down depending on workload.
Day care provision is mainly provided Monday to Friday although is available at the weekends for pre selected patients.
During the recent infection incident this ward was closed to new admissions and certain inpatient chemotherapy treatments. This was precautionary while Estates work and infection control testing was completed and rooms were closed. These restrictions were removed in November 2019.
The ward is staffed by nursing team from Wards 2A and 2B. It is supported by paediatric AHPs and other paediatric clinical teams including hospital at night. There are no adults treated in this ward.
The medical team arrangements are no different to what was provided in Wards 2A and 2B.
Recently a parent room and play area for patients has been introduced to the ward.
The ward staff continue to actively progress various interactive staff patient engagement initiatives in the Ward (and extended to parents located in Ward 4B) prior to services being relocated to Wards 2A and 2B in the summer of 2020.
Footnote
A few patients may be admitted to PICU or other areas in RHC. Normally this will be because they require specialist intensive or surgical care. Infectious patients (chicken pox for example) will also be managed in appropriate accommodation in RHC. These arrangements are no different to what was in place when services delivered from RHC.
About the team
The Haemato-Oncology team at the Royal Hospital for Children provide expert care and specialist treatment to some of the countries sickest babies, children and young people.
To deliver such high quality care takes truly special qualities including kindness, patience, professionalism, empathy, technical knowledge, expertise, dynamism and resilience.
This amazing team have those qualities in abundance and will always aim to bring some joy to their young patients each and every day.
The Haemato-Oncology team at the Royal Hospital for Children were recognised for their excellence at the recent NHSGGC Celebrating Success Staff Awards Event.
At the event the team received the prestigious Chairman’s Special Awards of Excellence.
News from the wards
Katie Knew She Wanted To Be A Nurse – While Having A Transplant Ward 6A
Nursing, they say is a vocation, but most people enter the profession not really knowing what to expect.
That can’t be said for 18-year-old Katie Watson from Maybole, who has just begun studying paediatric nursing at Glasgow Caledonian University.
Her career inspiration came from her own personal experience after she was diagnosed with Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia, aged just 14. In 2019, after two years of oral chemotherapy she underwent a bone marrow transplant. Katie received the majority of her care and her transplant at the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow.
Katie said: “I had wanted to be a nurse before my treatment, but going through that experience made my mind up. The whole team were amazing, quite inspiring.
“Once the nurses knew that’s what I wanted to be, they would talk me through and explain what they were doing. They would for example show me how to take my own blood pressure; they fed me with knowledge!
“I also think, being through what I have such as my transplant, will help to make me a good nurse. I know how the person in that bed feels, so when my time comes to nurse I will have that insight.”
Katie was treated in a number of wards on the Queen Elizabeth site, including the paediatric oncology ward 6A.
Senior charge nurse Emma Somerville remembers Katie well. She said: “The team and I are delighted to hear how well Katie is doing and has started university!
“She always has a very positive attitude and this had a positive effect on other young people in the ward. She took every day as it came and I think that really helped get her through her treatment.
“We are also so proud her experience inspired her to become a children’s nurse. It’s a real boost for us and we are delighted for her that this is coming true.
“This type of feedback from patients makes all the hard work worthwhile. Good luck Katie!”
Katie is living in Glasgow and making the most of student life.
She said: “I’m enjoying living in halls in Glasgow. I’ve always been quite independent and enjoy being out and about in Glasgow. The course is going great and I’m looking forward to starting placements soon.
“I’m really excited about learning more about being a paediatric nurse and being able to give something back. I want to make children feel better – just like they did for me.”
New music therapy for children and young adults at the QEUH
Calum, music therapist and Yasmine
Children and young people facing cancer treatment at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital now have access to new music therapy to improve their wellbeing.
Music therapy is offered on a one-to-one basis for any interested patient at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital’s ward 6A.
The ward is currently being used to care for haemato-oncology patients while there is continued improvement work at the Royal Hospital Children.
The sessions are provided by Team Jak Foundation in partnership with the Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity. It is available once a week and open to all interested patients on the ward.
Patients can sing songs, play instruments, listen to music or make up new songs or stories. No prior music knowledge or ability is required.
Calum Muir is a music therapist and hosts the sessions.
He said: “We’re here to create a relaxed space so there isn’t any pressure to perform or sing. Children here are facing unique challenges so each session is a wee bit different. Sometimes we’ll sing, write songs or if someone is feeling too tired, we’ll just talk and hangout. It’s all about creating time where they can have some fun, outside of medicine.”
Feedback from the first few sessions has been positive, with some repeat customers already.
Fiona Wijetunga’s daughter, Yasmine, took part in the music therapy sessions.
She said: “Music is such an important part of Yasmine’s life but she’s been missing out on this lately. It was just amazing to see her pick up a guitar with Calum. Before you knew it, they were both playing together and it brought a tear to my eye.
It’s an amazing service.”
Sarah-Jane McMillan, Senior Staff Nurse, Ward 6a QEUH, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said: “We’re pleased to offer music therapy to our patients. Some of our teenage patients in the ward said they had missed music classes from school while in hospital. Many have now had guitar practice with Calum and we’ve had great feedback from patients, families and staff alike.”
A recent report from Children’s Health Scotland found the Royal Hospital for Children was above the national average for many education and play indicators.
This includes: designated facilities for young people, which was found in 82% of the wards compared to the national average of 56%, and a dedicated playroom on the ward which was found in 100% of the wards. It also found dedicated classroom facilities in 64%, well above the national average of 38%.
Kirsty – the new face on Wards 6A & 4B
Kirsty Mackenzie
Welcome to Kirsty Mackenzie, a new face on Ward 6A and 4B!
Kirsty Mackenzie has been a Health Play Assistant at RHC for the last six years. Kirsty has worked in a variety of wards and departments and brings a wealth of enthusiasm, knowledge and ability with her to Ward 6A and 4B inpatients.
Kirsty said: “I am really excited about my new role in 6A and 4B and developing my knowledge regarding how best to help children with conditions I have no previous experience of. I’m very much looking forward to meeting all of the babies, children and young people on the ward.
“I like being challenged by children and young people to invent something new, like a game or a craft. I’m also happy to challenge anyone to a game of UNO!
Kirsty has been welcomed by Alison Dun who has been part of the Schiehallion Day Care team for more than three years and thoroughly enjoys her day to day engagement with all of the children who regularly attend for treatment.
Alison Dun
Alison works closely with the clinical multi-disciplinary team to ensure she can tailor play to be available to all children and young people at a time they need it.
Alison said: “The best bit about my job is getting to know all the children and families who come through the doors. I am always up for playing board games but crafting is my favourite, so please come and find me and we can learn lots of new skills together.”
Alison’s favourite activity is teaching children new board games, but admits to not being the most creative in terms of Arts and Crafts, so if any children or young people want to teach her new skills, she very much welcomes this.
New report recognises cleanliness and safety progress at QEUH
The Queen Elizabeth University Hospital and the Royal Hospital for Children have been positively recognised for progress in cleanliness and compliance with infection control measures following an unannounced visit from Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS).
The visit, which took place in November 2019, saw a group of external inspectors audit a number of areas and wards within the hospitals, and follows a previous visit in January 2019 which made a number of recommendations.
The report published on 20th February 2020, demonstrates that key recommendations from the January 2019 visit have now been implemented.
Read the full details through our press release via the following link.
We would like to give you an update on work to return patients to Wards 2A and 2B at the Royal Hospital for Children (RHC).
This has been an incredibly difficult period for patients, families and staff. We appreciate the challenges that being out of a purpose-built ward have created and we want to reiterate how sorry we are for any distress caused.
The events of the past few years, and the issues behind them, are still being examined.
Though the COVID pandemic has impacted on the programme, the upgrade is progressing well, and it is anticipated that the wards will be handed back by the contractor to NHSGGC by September. We will then carry out final checks and specialist commissioning before patients, staff and services move from the QEUH back into the wards.
When finished the wards will provide the highest-quality environment that is fully suited to the needs of our young patients and their families. They will be formally renamed ‘Schiehallion’, officially bringing back a much-loved name from the former children’s hospital, Yorkhill.
The project has entailed a replacement of the ventilation system costing more than £8 million, with new air-handling units ensuring the facility meets all current ventilation standards.
In addition, a highly specialised unit providing radiation therapy for treating rare cancers is being brought into use. The MIBG therapy was previously only available in England, so this new national service will further transform care for children across Scotland.
We would like to give special thanks for the tremendous efforts of former patients Molly Cuddihy and Sara Millar, whose £250,000 fund-raising campaign enabled the creation of a new, purpose-built chill-out area for children aged 8-12 years, to go alongside spaces for younger children and teenagers.
Throughout its planning and creation, Molly and Sara have played a central role in ensuring we provide a comfortable, relaxing environment for patients. Their input and ideas have been essential, and they all deserve huge credit for the work they have done.
As we prepare to return to Wards 2A and 2B, children and young people have also played an important role in making sure that the offering on TVs and iPads is what they need. Our play team recently surveyed more than 70 young people to gauge their opinion on the service we provide, and the results will help shape our TV and digital service throughout the RHC.
We are constantly reviewing the facilities that will be available in the new wards, and we will continue to engage with patients and families as we strive to provide the very best environment in which to look after our young patients.
These pages are a resource for parents and carers and will continue to be updated and enhanced through ongoing engagement with parents and carers.
If you have any questions or if you have suggestions regarding further content to be included on these pages, please contact us using this email address: ward6a-4b@nhsggc.org.uk
