Get the stories that matter to you sent straight to your inbox with our daily newsletter. Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

A WHISTLEBLOWER has lifted the lid on the “shambolic and unsafe” state of Scotland’s flagship hospital.

Shocking pictures passed to the Record show filthy equipment and cupboards containing deadly drugs lying wide open on wards at Glasgow’s Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.

An exhausted nurse is seen sleeping on a mattress on the floor and the door to a secure area has been wedged open with a medical waste bin.

Our source – a nurse who didn’t want to be named – claimed the £842million complex is at breaking point.

She said: “Things have gone from bad to worse, mainly due to the fact that there simply aren’t enough staff to keep the place clean and functioning efficiently.

“Auxiliary nurses are having to do the bulk of ward cleaning which means they aren’t looking after patients.

“Trolleys used to transport medical supplies are filthy because nobody has time to clean them properly.

“These things go from ward to ward so infections and bugs can be spread right around the hospital.

“There is also a common problem of drug stores being left open and the doors being wedged open. It’s basically done to make fetching supplies quicker because there are so few staff.

“These cupboards contain highly addictive and dangerous drugs such as morphine, tramadol and diazepam.

“They are supposed to be kept under lock and key by senior members of staff because you have patients with addiction issues and it is not uncommon for stock to disappear – but that isn’t happening.

“Another issue is night shift workers who are having to grab some sleep during 12-hour shifts on mattresses plonked on the floor. These rooms are basically store rooms converted into tea rooms.

“Night shift is probably the most dangerous time at the QEUH with staff alone, frustrated and thinly stretched.

“I’ve worked in a few hospitals and believe it to be the worst in the country.

“There have been instances of patients being neglected. I found one with urine burns and another caked in dry faeces.

“Managers push sick staff to return and employ bank or agency nurses, who find themselves walking into wards with little experience in the field the ward covers.

“The end result is a shambolic and unsafe environment for patients and staff. The main problem is managers with no understanding of what is happening on the wards, and a general lack of resources. There’s no point having this fantastic new building if you aren’t going to use it properly.”

A spokeswoman for Greater Glasgow and Clyde Health Board said last night: “There are clear rules regarding the safe storage of medicines and these have been reinforced to all staff.

“The QEUH, like all of our hospitals, has strict policies around cleaning regimes and we take infection control extremely seriously.

“While these photos appear to show some issues, we need to check them for authenticity. If there are any areas to address this will be done as a priority.”

Labour health spokesman Anas Sarwar said: “This is further evidence that our NHS staff are undervalued, under-resourced and overworked.

“Unless people wake up to the reality that we are under-resourcing our NHS, these stories are only going to get more common.”