Multiple Room Closures at Troubled Scottish Superhospital Raise Safety Alarms
Five rooms have been closed on a ward treating critically ill cancer patients at Scotland's scandal-hit Queen Elizabeth University Hospital over the past six months due to water and mould concerns, with the latest closure occurring just days ago. The Scottish Mail on Sunday can reveal that more than a fifth of the 24 rooms at the £1 billion hospital's bone marrow transplant unit have been sealed off at various points since August last year, with three rooms currently remaining shut.
Latest Incident and Political Fallout
The most recent room closure happened on March 4 due to a leaking water connection, occurring on the same day First Minister John Swinney declared he was 'confident' the site was safe. Scottish Conservative health spokesman Dr Sandesh Gulhane MSP responded sharply, stating: 'Despite John Swinney's blithe assurances, there are clearly serious ongoing issues with safety and cleanliness that pose a danger to patients.'
Dr Gulhane continued: 'Given the closure of these rooms, there must now be questions about the veracity of what we've been told by SNP ministers and health board chiefs. The secrecy and spin around this scandal must stop. John Swinney cannot hide behind evasions about the inquiry but must now come clean and give us the truth about safety at the hospital.'
Health Board Confirmation and Infection Alerts
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde confirmed to the Mail on Sunday that two rooms in Ward 4B were sealed off 'as a precaution' during the week ending February 20, 2026, 'due to the presence of marks on the ceiling in one room.' The health board issued an infection alert, known as a HIIAT, relating to these closures five days later but has not yet revealed what specifically prompted the alert.
HIIATs are typically issued in response to infection incidents within hospitals, but NHSGGC has not confirmed whether patients were infected or with what pathogens. The board confirmed some patients were 'clinically investigated' in relation to the incident but stated they were all 'now discharged and causing no concern.'
Vulnerable Patient Population
Patients awaiting bone marrow transplants typically have extremely compromised immune systems and require greater protection from infections while hospitalized than other patients, as they face significantly elevated risks. Dozens of cancer patients were previously infected with rare pathogens at the hospital, with approximately 30 cases likely connected to the hospital's water or ventilation systems according to a government-commissioned review.
Additional Closures and Escalated Alerts
NHSGGC also confirmed a third room 'closed on March 4, 2026 due to a leak from a hose connected to the heating battery' which 'has now been repaired.' The day following this third room closure, the health board escalated the infection alert for the ward to red status, representing the highest possible level. John Swinney told MSPs the escalation was intended to 'acknowledge the heightened public anxiety around this matter,' insisting it was not 'due to any increased risk of harm to patients.'
Further revelations indicate that two rooms were shut in August last year over concerns about leaking ensuite bathrooms. NHSGGC stated this incident did not require an infection alert at the time.
Political Criticism and Calls for Transparency
Scottish Labour Health spokeswoman Jackie Baillie declared: 'These staggering revelations suggest John Swinney may have been misleading the Parliament and the public over the safety issues at this hospital. Patient safety has to come first, but the Health Board and the SNP government still seem to be focused on protecting their own reputations.'
Baillie continued: 'For the sake of patients, John Swinney must end the secrecy and cover-up and tell us what is really going on at the QEUH.'
Lack of Disclosure and Historical Context
The health board failed to mention the room closures or leak concerns during its latest board meeting or in a recently published 'Reassurance update' intended to reduce public anxiety regarding the QEUH campus. A spokeswoman stated room closures 'would not be discussed at any board meeting unless there was ongoing governance concern.'
Louise Slorance, whose government advisor husband Andrew died at the QEUH while awaiting a stem cell transplant in 2020, commented: 'Any signs of water damage have the potential to pose a risk to transplant patients. It's vital that the health board focus not on downplaying this ongoing incident but on making sure patients affected are appropriately followed up and all signs of water leakage are fully removed from this high-risk ward, and the source of leaks repaired. Patient safety must come before reputation.'
Longstanding Hospital Problems
The QEUH campus has been plagued with issues since opening a decade ago. As previously revealed by the Scottish Mail on Sunday, NHS chiefs admitted dirty water at the site was probably linked to some rare infections in children undergoing cancer treatment there. The health board has been named as a suspect in a corporate homicide investigation examining the deaths of four patients, including 10-year-old Milly Main and 73-year-old Gail Armstrong.
The deaths of three additional patients – Andrew Slorance, Tony Dynes, and Molly Cuddihy – are also being investigated by the Crown Office. A Scottish Government spokesman stated: 'The Scottish Government is in close contact with NHS GGC in relation to Ward 4B and we receive regular updates to maintain an accurate picture of any ongoing developments.'
