A Scottish Hospitals Inquiry heard how a woman who contracted a pigeon-dropping-related infection “suffered too much” in the weeks before her death, according to her daughter. Sandie Armstrong testified about her mother, Gail Armstrong’s, rapid health decline, which she said drastically shortened her life and denied her family a “proper chance to say goodbye.”
Gail Armstrong, 73, a cancer patient, died in January 2019 following a diagnosis of cryptococcus—a fungal infection associated with pigeon droppings—while being treated at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH) in Glasgow. This inquiry was initiated after several patient deaths at QEUH were connected to infections from pigeon droppings and the hospital's water supply.
Ms. Armstrong shared that her mother had enjoyed a visit to the Victoria and Albert Museum in England in early autumn but became unwell shortly afterward. It took weeks to arrange her transfer to QEUH. Ms. Armstrong alleged that upon arrival, her mother’s weakened state worsened in a ward without adequate air circulation, noting, “She had no defences whatsoever, and the hospital played a big part in that.” Speaking remotely, Ms. Armstrong stated, “The air change rate was at 2.5 when it should have been at 10, and she wasn’t in a positive pressure room or on anti-fungal protection.”
Craig Connal KC, senior counsel for the inquiry, asked whether the cryptococcus infection affected her mother’s life. Ms. Armstrong replied, “Absolutely there was, absolutely.” While her mother had a rare cancer, it was being managed; however, her condition worsened significantly at QEUH later that year. Ms. Armstrong emphasized, “Her rapid decline had a massive effect on her length of life.”
She added that her mother’s quality of life had “massively impacted,” explaining that her mother lost her ability to converse and became immobile, leading the family to miss their “proper chance to say goodbye.” Referring to the period shortly before her mother’s decline, she said, “A few months before that she was at the Victoria and Albert Museum… I think it really, really did impact on her quality of life and our time with her, and I feel that she suffered too much.”
Ms. Armstrong also recounted a meeting in September 2020 with hospital management regarding the incident, where her family felt “manipulated” as they were informed the cryptococcus infection could only have entered the ventilation system during filter changes. She recalled how a consultant microbiologist, John Hood, suggested it was possible her mother had contracted the infection “from the park opposite her house,” which she found “a very insensitive thing to say.”
An NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) representative stated that they “can provide absolute assurance” that their hospitals are safe, citing positive infection control indicators and comparative mortality rates, and affirmed ongoing support for the inquiry led by Lord Brodie in Edinburgh.
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