A little girl was treated in an unsafe Glasgow hospital room in the weeks before her death, her family claim.
Little Emily McDowall was being cared for at the Royal Hospital for Children (RHC) when her mum says she noticed missing water filters and a leaking air conditioning unit.
Samantha Pickering recalls fearing for the five-year-old before she went into hospital, she told the Sunday Mail: "We were already very worried about Emily going into that hospital because of the infections she picked up."
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The family previously say that little Emily was misdiagnosed with cancer and suffered multiple infections as a patient at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital campus.
She was eventually correctly diagnosed with rare genetic disorder Pearson syndrome, which affects less than 100 people worldwide, but not referred to a specialist for three years..
Emily's mum and uncle, and dad Kevin McDowall, were by her side when she was admitted to the RHC in August 2021 after developing an infection, she passed away a few weeks later.
Samantha explained: "When Emily was in ward 3C, the room was a state, with mould on the wall, water leaking from the air-conditioner vents and the tap didn't have the proper filter on it."
In 2019 special water filters had been installed in wards for very vulnerable people after patients developed infections possibly linked to bacteria in the water supply.
Kenneth complained to the health board but said he was accidentally copied into an email discussing trying to convince him to allow his concerns to be handled "informally".
An NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde spokesperson said: "Emily was cared for in the appropriate ward for her clinical needs. During Emily's admission, there were no reported issues about mould in the showers or on the walls. The use of filters on taps is based on a risk assessment.
"This case was fully investigated and ultimately handled through our formal complaints process."
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