The troubled past of QEUH in Glasgow

When the doors opened in 2015, the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital had to significantly change the health services in Glasgow.

It was to bring together the main specialized services such as kidney medicine, transplants and vascular surgery.

Critical care, theater and advanced diagnostic services are also part of his qualities.

But the hospital has been confronted with a series of problems since it was put in place by entrepreneurs about four years ago.

The facility, of an amount of £ 842m, located on the former site of Southern General, is currently under investigation after two deaths related to an infection caused by droppings of pigeons.

The NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde have launched their own investigation after the announcement of the news of Saturday's death.

• A former minister calls for the opening of an investigation into the infection of pigeons at the hospital
• Two deaths after the fall of an infection in the hospital by a pigeon

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Once described in a BBC documentary as "a cross between an airport and a hotel", the sheer scale of QEUH is renowned throughout Europe.

Called "Busy Lizzie", this hospital is the largest of its kind on the continent and treats some 750,000 patients a year, some of them coming from North Skye.

Its emergency service is the most modern in the country and it is the first Scottish hospital to operate a helipad on the roof, which saves 15 minutes in transfer time.

Facts and figures

• 12 floors
• 1,677 beds
• 90 neighborhoods
• 127 corridors
• The average wearer should walk 10 to 20 miles a day

Next door, the Royal Hospital for Children brings together specialties – intensive care of the fetus, maternity, newborn and children. Its state-of-the-art pediatric intensive care unit treats some of the sickest children in Scotland.

About 20 teenagers aged 13 to 19 are treated in the Teenage Cancer Trust Unit, which is the largest in the country. It incorporates personal touches to help young people feel at home away from home.

A jukebox, a pool table and its own cinema offer a few hours of escape from the hospitable life.

Initial criticism

Formerly known as the South Glasgow University Hospital, the campus and its potential impact often made headlines immediately after its official opening on July 3, 2015.

Politicians have called the name change process a "ridiculous waste" after £ 100,000 was spent on royal opening, plaques, catering and signage.

The ceremony, attended by the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, cost £ 29,000 alone.

In October of the same year, it was reported that residents and counselors had expressed concerns about the number of buses going to and from the hospital.

He urged the council to install equipment to evaluate levels of harmful nitrogen dioxide.

QEHU has also been heavily criticized for failing to routinely see A & E patients within four hours, a goal set by the Scottish government.

Medical workers have already expressed private concerns about staffing levels and workload pressures, prompting the Royal College of Nursing to raise concerns about "real pressure on services".

Operations were also canceled in the near future due to the shortage of beds, a problem facing boards of health in Scotland.

Dr. Jennifer Armstrong, director of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, acknowledged that the problems were "unacceptable", but said the hospital was doing some of the most advanced medical treatments in the world.

In January 2017, blood and excrement were found on patients' carts and mattresses during an inspection, which raised concerns about the cleanliness of the building.

However, the Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) inspectors made an unannounced follow-up visit on 1-2 August and welcomed the "good progress" that had been made.

Bacteria problems

Last year, the hospital experienced several problems related to bacteria.

Four children were treated for infections and transferred to an adult pavilion after the discovery of bacteria in the water of the adjacent Royal Hospital.

During the first six months of the year, a number of patients were affected by bacteremia, from Units 2A and 2B.

In June, bacteria were found in the sewers of two rooms reserved for children whose immune system is compromised.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) said that much work had been done on faucets in theaters at the time.

Then Health Secretary Shona Robison apologized to the patients and families affected.

But in September, six new cases were reported and an incident management team was set up.

In November, the children's water supply system was shut down, while the remaining patients used dressers, bottled water and hand gel.

In December, work to resolve the bacteria issues was completed.