A family have not been told that the death of their child was linked to an infection at Glasgow’s super-hospital, according to bombshell allegations.
The SNP Government admitted an infections probe was unable to contact an affected family but refused to confirm which one.
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said it is “almost definitely” the family of a child who had passed away.
He said: “The health board and Government must strain every sinew to reach this family, and justice must be delivered for every family. I will not rest until that is achieved.”
The £842million Queen Elizabeth University Hospital has been dogged by patient safety scandals since it opened six years ago. A Government-commissioned investigation was tasked with looking at the safety of children and young people at the hospital campus.
Experts found that the deaths of two children were “at least in part” the result of an infection.
Milly Main, 10, was in remission from leukaemia when she acquired an infection.
Mum Kimberly Darroch was later told Milly’s water-linked bug was “probably related” to the hospital.
The investigation flagged up a second case in which a child had died within six weeks of an infection. It concluded the death was “probably linked” to the hospital environment and ruled the bacteria was “implicated in the cause of death”.
There are concerns that NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and the investigation team have not been able to locate this family.
The Daily Record asked the Scottish Government if the child’s family had been informed about the probe’s findings.
A spokesperson said: “The independent case note review team has made contact with all families except one.
“Despite extensive efforts by the team and NHSGGC to contact and locate this family using all available patient data from existing clinical and GP records, the team were unable to make contact with them.”
Asked if this was a reference to the family of the dead child, they said: “We are unable to disclose that information for patient confidentiality reasons.”
Sarwar, who helped whistleblowers reveal the Milly Main scandal to the Record, said: “Despite the repeated denials and the attempted cover-up by the health board, we now have confirmation, tragically, that a second child died.
“We also know that one family remains in the dark. Somewhere out there is a grieving family with no idea of the truth about why their child developed an infection. Whistleblowers fear this family is the family of the child who died.
“The public inquiry into one of the greatest scandals of the devolution era must deliver answers but this family shouldn’t have to wait – they deserve to know the truth now.”
NHSGGC directed enquiries to the Scottish Government, which said: “The safety of patients and their families will always be our top priority – they must have the right support to give them confidence they are receiving the best care possible.
“We launched the Scottish Hospitals Inquiry to address the concerns of patients and families.”
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