Wednesday, October 15th, 2025
Determination issued into death of baby at QEUH
A determination has been issued in the Fatal Accident Inquiry into the death of Baby SS at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow in 2017. Emma Toner KC acted on behalf of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. Baby SS contracted PVL- MSSA infection whilst being treated in the neonatal unit of the QEUH. She was 12 days old when she died. The Inquiry found that there was no link between the built hospital environment at the QEUH and the infection suffered by Baby SS prior to her death. Further, the Inquiry found that there was no reasonable precaution which could have been taken by the health board such as might have resulted in Baby SS’s death being avoided, nor could the source of the infection be established on the evidence. The sheriff found that there were no defects in the health board’s systems of work. The Inquiry made recommendations for NHSGGC to review its existing protocol in relation to the screening of vulnerable neonates and for other health boards in Scotland to consider adopting a screening process similar to that of NHSGGC. Further, the Inquiry made a recommendation for information to be disseminated to health boards throughout Scotland on the risks associated with PVL-MSSA, including the difficulties of diagnosis and the advantages of early antibiotic and anti-toxin therapy.
A link to the determation can be found here https://www.scotcourts.gov.uk/media/jgnkqk2k/2025fai41-fai-sophia-smith.pdf
