Queen Elizabeth hospital patients forced to sleep in dirty linen
James Kelly MSP and Queen Elizabeth II University Hospital in Glasgow.
By Lizzie Healey
Patients at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital were unable to wash because of lack of fresh laundry, according to the Glasgow Labour MSP, James Kelly.
He told the Scottish Parliament: “Last week, it was reported that patients at the Queen Elizabeth university hospital Glasgow were unable to wash because of a lack of fresh laundry.
“Patients who were awaiting surgery had to sleep in dirty linen.
“That is completely unacceptable and is a demonstration of the crisis in the national health service.”
The hospital takes patients from West Dunbartonshire and South Argyll.
Mr Kelly asked First Minister Nicola Sturgeon to apologise to the patients who were affected – “and set out what immediate action the Government will take to ensure that such a disgraceful episode does not happen again”.
Ms Sturgeon replied: “I understand from NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde that laundry supplies were affected by a particularly busy period over the new year.
“The board has already apologised—I echo that apology—and given assurances that the issue has been resolved. It was quickly resolved, but such issues should not happen. I expect the board to learn and apply lessons from the experience.”