Scotland’s Health Secretary is facing a growing storm after she insisted infection control is good enough at a flagship hospital where two patients died after inhaling fungus linked to pigeon droppings.

The Scottish Tories branded Jeane Freeman’s comments “absolutely astonishing” and accused her of being “complacent” in the wake of the deaths at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow.

Labour also attacked the Scottish Government’s handling of the crisis ahead of First Minister’s Questions today.

The row comes after Ms Freeman confirmed a child died at the end of last year as a result of an infection caused by the fungus Cryptococcus, which is found in pigeon droppings.

Another patient was diagnosed with the condition, but that death the following month was said to be unrelated.

In an interview on BBC Good Morning Scotland, Ms Freeman was asked: “Do you believe infection control is good enough at this hospital?”

She replied: “Yes I do. Yes I do and I think the statistics show that. The overall infection rate in the Queen Elizabeth is 4 per cent, the average across Scotland is 4.9%. It is at least on par with all the other hospitals across Scotland and, in fact, doing a bit better. But infection happens in hospitals. That’s why we have the Scottish Patient Safety Programme that has significantly reduced infection rates across our hospitals and healthcare settings over the last 10 years or so.

“What you need to be able to do though is have those additional infection control measures put in place as they have done at the Queen Elizabeth, with the HEPA [high efficiency particulate air] filters, with the anti-fungal protection for particularly vulnerable patients in the area where the Cryptococcus infection was discovered.”

Over and above the two known cases, The Herald understands a third person was last night fighting for their life after contracting a second fungal infection, Mucor. They were being treated in the Intensive Care Unit. A fourth person also had Mucor but was said to be stable and not requiring treatment.

The source of their infections is also being investigated, separate to an inquiry over the pigeon scandal.

Yesterday, Ms Freeman announced a probe into the design, construction, handover and maintenance of the flagship £842 million Queen Elizabeth, amid widespread concerns its quality was “less than satisfactory”.

The Scottish Tories said maintenance staff at the health board has been significantly reduced in recent years. Analysis of figures shows there was an 11.5 per cent cut in maintenance and estate workers in the two years to September 2018.

And the ISD Scotland data states, at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, the numbers have reduced by 18.6 % since 2009.

Shadow health secretary Miles Briggs said: “Only now, after this scandal has been brought to light, is the SNP reviewing maintenance at Glasgow’s super hospital.

“For Jeane Freeman to say infection control at the hospital is adequate is absolutely astonishing, particularly in the wake of two deaths, one of whom was a child.

“That’s a complacent attitude, and one that simply won’t cut it with patients or staff. The big question is why ministers are failing to stop things like this happening in the first place, and why it takes a scandal like this for them to act.

“In Glasgow alone, dozens of maintenance staff have been cut in recent years in the lead-up to this scandal.

“Across Scotland, patients will look at the nationwide reduction and wonder what other desperate consequences these SNP cuts could have.

“With that in mind, is it any wonder that – more than a month after a patient has died – we are still seeing rooms plastered in pigeon droppings?”

However a Scottish Government spokesman said: “As the board has said today, it has invested heavily in new buildings over the last decade, operating with the very latest modern building management systems.

“The Queen Elizabeth University Hospital brings together in one single location hospital services that were previously split around multiple older sites across Glasgow.

“NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde have also advised that they have also worked with their maintenance staff on training to help more be multi-skilled technicians rather than single trade workers.”

They also confirmed other health boards had been given advice with regards to cleaning. They said: “All NHS boards have been instructed to ensure ventilation systems are inspected and cleaned in accordance with national guidance – and to ensure plant rooms are kept clean and secure.”

Scottish Labour’s health spokeswoman Monica Lennon said the review announced by Ms Freeman suggests “something has gone very wrong”.

She said: “At the centre of this are two patients, including a child, who have died as a result of these infections, so it is important the Government is honest about the challenges it is facing. 

“The Health Secretary says infection rates are on a par with other hospitals in Scotland, but this is supposed to be a world leading hospital.

“Today we see reports of furniture covered in filth at the hospital, apparently left for months - that simply should not be happening.”

It was claimed last night that the room where the child victim died after contracting Cryptococcus at the £842million super- hospital wasn’t fitted with a protective air filter.

It is understood the child who died was from the Grampian area and was being treated for cancer. The patient was among those receiving treatment in the main adult building as a result of contamination in the water supply in the children’s hospital – which led to six paediatric patients developing infections last year.

Children being treated in wards 2A, 2B and the adjoining Bone Marrow Transplant unit were transferred to wards in the adult hospital while work is ongoing to upgrade the ventilation and water system.

A hospital source said the room the child was transferred to should have included a HEPA air filter.

The health board said portable HEPA filters are now being installed in “all the rooms identified as requiring them” as part of additional infection control measures following the deaths, but would not comment on the child’s case.