A major Scottish health board has made a significant admission, stating that problems with a hospital's water system were 'more likely than not' responsible for a fatal infection in a 10-year-old cancer patient.
A Tragic Loss and a Long Fight for Answers
Milly Main was being treated for leukaemia at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH) in Glasgow when she tragically died on 31 August 2017. The young girl had contracted a rare bloodstream infection caused by the bacteria Stenotrophomonas maltophilia.
For years, her family maintained that the infection originated from contaminated water within the hospital, which they believe tainted a line used to administer drugs into her body. Despite these claims, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) repeatedly denied any link between waterborne bacteria and patient infections and deaths.
A Major U-Turn in Official Position
The health board's stance changed dramatically during the ongoing Scottish Hospitals Inquiry. In closing submissions, NHSGGC stated it now accepts that, 'on the balance of probabilities', a material proportion of additional bloodstream infections in patients between 2016 and 2018 were connected to the state of the hospital water system.
The board explicitly departed from its earlier denials, citing the weight of expert evidence heard during the probe. The inquiry itself was launched following the unexpected deaths of several patients, including Milly, with concerns raised about mistakes in the hospital's design and construction.
Political Fallout and Calls for 'Milly's Law'
The admission has sparked fierce political reaction. Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar hailed it as a 'turning point' and called for a corporate homicide investigation to be widened to include politicians, accusing them of involvement in a 'cover-up'.
Sarwar has vowed to establish 'Milly's Law' in memory of the 10-year-old. This proposed law would create an independent public advocate with the power to investigate incidents and uncover the truth. He condemned a culture where whistleblowers were 'gaslit, lied to and punished' and families were made to feel they were 'making a fuss'.
Scottish Conservative health spokesman Dr Sandesh Gulhane MSP echoed criticisms of a 'culture of secrecy', stating answers were being 'extracted rather than freely given' from the health board.
In response to the developments, an NHSGGC spokesperson said the board remains 'fully committed to supporting the Inquiry'. A Scottish Government spokesperson said it established the statutory public inquiry to provide families with answers and learn lessons, adding it would be inappropriate to comment further as an independent core participant.
