Covid in Scotland: Doctor concerns over virus control in old hospital

Senior doctors at a Glasgow hospital have raised concerns about Covid-19 infection control.

BBC Scotland has learned medics at Glasgow Royal Infirmary have drafted a joint letter to management.

In it, they express "serious concern" about the safe treatment of coronavirus patients.

They have met hospital chiefs to discuss concerns the Victorian building is unsuitable for preventing the spread of the virus.

It comes as a man whose father died after catching Covid in hospital claims he was placed on a ward with patients who had tested positive for the virus.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) said decisions about where to situate patients were always made in conjunction with clinical teams and infection control experts.

It said its deepest sympathies were with the patient's family.

Tom, not his real name as he wishes to remain anonymous, says his father had been in Glasgow Royal Infirmary since the end of June, recovering from a stroke.

Although plans were being made to discharge him, he contracted coronavirus in October and died two weeks ago.

His dad, who was in his eighties, tested positive after twice being placed in the same bay as patients with the virus, Tom claims.

He told Mhairi Stuart on BBC Radio Scotland's Lunchtime Live that he was "absolutely flabbergasted" when he discovered in October that the hospital was starting to put patients who had tested positive on the same wards as those who did not have the virus.

He says he was told by doctors that guidelines were being followed as long as a patient was two metres away from someone who was Covid-positive.

Responding to the claims, Scotland's Chief Medical Officer Gregor Smith told the daily media briefing on Tuesday that infection prevention and control procedures included streaming patients with suspected Covid or with Covid and separating them from other patients.

He said: "We call those the Green and the Red pathways within hospitals and they are very clearly demarcated throughout the hospital system to try to make sure we don't have that type of mixing."

Tom told BBC Scotland his father was moved to an open ward in Glasgow Royal and a Covid-positive patient was in the next bed to him.

He explained: "It's an older hospital and from what I can see there is no ventilation in the wards. I'd asked the nurses if they could open the windows. They said most of the windows don't open. If they are in an open ward with the Covid-positive patients, the virus is in the air and it has got no means of escape, so basically they are sitting in a Covid soup."

Tom said he raised the issue with a doctor who said they were having to deal with an awful situation.

Tom believes his father's death could have been avoided. He claims his father, whom he says was making progress, was in a ward in close proximity to Covid-positive patients for three days. He was moved out and three days later he tested positive himself.

The NHSGCC spokeswoman said there were currently 667 Covid patients in the health board's hospitals, which is more than at the height of the pandemic in April.

The spokeswoman explained: "As a result of an increase in Covid-19 cases being admitted to hospital, we have a number of Red Wards at the Glasgow Royal Infirmary, meaning that they are closed to new admissions.

"The wards have been classified in this way to help minimise the spread of the virus. Where needed, appropriate measures are in place to ensure that anyone classified as a close contact of a Covid case is identified, contact-traced, screened and informed of the requirement to self-isolate.

"Asymptomatic close contact patients are being cared for separately from confirmed cases, and confirmed cases are treated separately from the wider patient population. Confirmed cases are being cared for in line with their presenting condition. The decision on where to situate patients is always made in conjunction with clinical teams and infection control experts who are working in line with national guidance."

Asked about the case at her daily media briefing, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said she had not heard the interview with Tom and did not know the wider circumstances.

She said: "We have asked hospitals since the start of the pandemic to operate what we have called red and green zones, which is about the separation of Covid and non-Covid patients. Obviously I would want to look into why in that circumstance that has not happened."