A PATIENT group has called for an investigation to prevent any further issues at the new Glasgow hospital after cancer patients were moved back to the Beatson unit over an air quality problem.

The Scotland Patient Association said it was crucial that such "embarrassing" situations are not repeated at the new £842 million Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has said the relocation of 18 leukaemia patients and the Bone Marrow Transplant Service was temporary and a precautionary move. Routine air monitoring had identified a higher particle count than desirable in the new Bone Marrow Transplant unit.

While remedial measures were being looked at, it was decided that the service should be transferred back to the Beatson, along with the hospital's acute leukaemia patients.

Anne Johnstone, one of those patients affected, has told how she was transferred from the Beatson Cancer Centre to the new Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, only to be told this week that they are to return to the Beatson because of "concerns about air quality" at the new hospital.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde say the air quality issue is only confined to the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit and that an assessment over what needs to be done to resolve the issues is due to be completed over this weekend.

Jean Turner, of the Scottish Patient Association, said: "I hope that that there is a lot of investigation into why it (the air quality issue) happened to ensure something like this doesn't happen again.

"I am concerned that it doesn't happen again. It is very embarrassing for whoever is responsible for the unit.

"There is concern when you have to move 18 people to the Beatson when they thought they had a state-of-the art unit in the new hospital."

Three weeks ago, a support team was sent into the hospital after it emerged it was the worst performing in Scotland.

Figures showed 78.3 per cent of patients were seen and treated within four hours at South Glasgow University Hospital, well below the target of 95 per cent for accident and emergency departments in Scotland.

There were also claims that the hospital was in chaos four weeks after it opened to patients.

One woman said it was like "a war zone" over the May bank holiday weekend and her terminally-ill husband had to wait eight hours to be admitted.

Dr Turner added: "It is extremely unfortunate that all there are these teething problems. You would hope especially in a new hospital things are going to be checked and double checked again before you let patients in.

"With a new hospital you would jolly well hope that everything was in working order before you got to the stage where you are admitting patients.

"You don't want negativity but on the other hand the hospital cost a lot and it is up to the people who obviously got the contracts to sort it."

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said the issues had nothing to do with any lack of High Efficiency Particulate Arresting filters, which are critical in the prevention of the spread of airborne bacterial and viral organisms and, therefore, infection.

An NHS GGC spokesman said: "This transfer was made as a precaution. There has been no detrimental effect to any of our patients. We monitor all such systems regularly and due to this monitoring process we are able to detect any issues promptly and take appropriate action."

Dr Anne Parker, lead consultant for haemato-oncology, has said the remedial work would take place without disrupting patient care.

Meanwhile nearly 10,000 have signed a petition in protest at the hospital being renamed after the Queen.

The Govan hospital was originally known as the South Glasgow University Hospital and renamed the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital after being officially opened by the monarch.

PhD student John Beattie, 32, who started the petition, described the new name as "an affront to our democracy".