Jennifer McLoughlin, 43, is suing health chiefs over the problems she suffered while working at Glasgow’s Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.
Jennifer told how she feared she was dying after being struck down by an illness she blames on pigeons.
She claims birds nesting in the ceiling above her desk sparked weeks of severe breathing problems.
The mum of two was an admin worker in the neurological unit at the hospital in Glasgow when she started to feel ill.
Tests later blamed her issues on her “environment” — and the flagship health complex is now at the centre of an infection scandal linked to pigeon droppings.
Jennifer was horrified when a bug connected to the birds’ mess was this week confirmed as a factor in the death of a child patient — two years after she raised concerns about the £842million site.
She said: “I knew it was those birds making me ill. I could hear them over my head every day in our office.
“It started with a cough and then it just got worse and worse.
“After a few weeks I was in a horrendous state — I thought I was dying. I couldn’t breathe, I was in and out of hospital and calling ambulances to the house.
“I visited my GP at first then found myself having to go to the out of hours team.
“I would suffer violent coughing fits so bad that I fractured my rib during one of them.
“I was put on eight different types of steroids and inhalers. They ran loads of tests on me — I had X-rays, CT scans and a scope put down my throat.”
Jennifer, of Clydebank, added: “I told them about the pigeons at my workplace and they put it down to environmental issues.
“The birds managed to get in through the air vents and were above us.
“I’d complained loads of time but nothing was done.
“To think something could have been done to save that child — it’s just absolutely disgusting.”
Jennifer needed a month off work as she recovered and on her return demanded to be moved to another office.
Her bosses agreed, but she claims the superhospital didn’t do enough after she raised the alarm in April 2017.
5 QUESTIONS THAT NEED ANSWERED
1 Why didn’t health bosses or the Government alert the public earlier?
2 Would they have made the deaths and infection public had the media not pressed them?
3 Why does an £842m ‘superhospital’ not have adequate preventative measures against invading pigeons?
4 How did pigeon filth enter a closed ventilation system?
5 Are other hospitals being checked for pigeon problems?
She said: “I told them that I wasn’t working in that office again so they moved us. My health got better but I started looking for other jobs straight away, I couldn’t work there anymore.
“I think they knew deep down they were at fault because I was off ill for a month and those days weren’t even subtracted from my sick leave.”
Health Secretary Jeane Freeman announced a probe into the superhospital on Tuesday.
It came as she confirmed the cryptococcus infection — which can be breathed in from bird droppings — had been a factor in the death of the child in December.
Another elderly patient at the hospital who also had the infection died from an unrelated cause.
The likely source of the bug has been traced to a plant room. As details of two more infection cases emerged this week, Ms Freeman admitted the hospital “may not be fit for purpose”.
Jennifer, who lives with partner John Fenner, 46, and her children Georgia, nine, and seven-year-old Keenan, now works at the Golden Jubilee in Clydebank.
She went to her union for support after leaving the QEU then contacted Thompsons Solicitors.
They are helping take legal action against NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, claiming her working environment was to blame for her health problems.
She said: “I’m suing them for how ill I was — my rib problem, all of the medication I had to take and how ill I was.
“Up until now they have been denying it — now they can’t hide any more. A child has died and who knows how many others have been affected.
“They should hang their heads in shame.”
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said it was “unable to comment on this ongoing legal case”.
A spokesman for Thompsons Solicitors added: “We are very keen that the health board engage with us to resolve the matter as quickly as possible.”
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
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There are some weird things that happen in Florida – after all, that is the foundation of the entire Florida Man subReddit, so is it really that shocking that a video has surfaced of a man catching pigeons in a net? Probably not for most.
The majority of questions surrounding the video is about what the man plans on doing with the birds. Although the video posted on World Star HipHop is pretty low quality and only just over 30 seconds in length, you can clearly see a man standing near a group of pigeons with something in his hand. It is soon revealed that “something” is a net that he throws over the birds – successfully catching several.
The video cuts off with the man putting the birds in the back of a vehicle. It is not clear if it is his vehicle or someone else’s – but we would put money on it being his. There is no further information on who the mystery bird man is, so that is also up to speculation. Knowing the internet his identity will not remain a secret for very long.
As for the legality of this man’s actions – well, according to the Chicago Tribune, it is not illegal to catch and eat a city pigeon unless it happens to be someone’s trained homing pigeon.
With that being said, a lot of people are assuming he was catching his dinner.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Pigeon droppings were a contributing factor to an infection which led to a child’s death at Scotland’s flagship hospital.
The child died at Glasgow’s Queen Elizabeth University Hospital and a post-mortem found that they had inhaled fungus which is primarily found in pigeon droppings.
Another patient was also infected but it is thought the infection did not contribute to their death.
Scottish Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said a review would be carried out in the design, build, handover and maintenance of the flagship hospital.
She told MSPs that traces of pigeon excrement had been found in a top floor room where there was a small crack in the wall which was “invisible to the naked eye”.
The hospital was built for the Scottish Government at a cost of £842 million and opened at the end of April 2015.
Despite the hospital having only recently been constructed, Ms Freeman said there appeared to be a “number of instances” where the fabric of building was “less than satisfactory”.
After visiting the hospital, the Scottish health secretary said: “I have agreed a review, with external expert advice, that will look at the design of the building, the commissioning of the work, the construction of the building, the handover of the building and the maintenance of the building, in order to ensure we identify where issues were raised that should have been addressed and where maintenance programmes now should be perhaps more robust or more frequent.”
Ms Freeman announced the review after setting out “clear factual points” on the two patient deaths to MSPs at Holyrood.
She said the Cryptococcus bacteria had initially been identified in one patient in November 2018 but was not linked to that person’s death the following month.
Ms Freeman added: “In December a post-mortem of a child who has passed away conformed that Cryptococcus was both present and a contributory factor in their death.”
She explained the second case triggered the introduction of additional infection control measures by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, including prescribing anti-fungal medication to “vulnerable patients” and the provision of additional air filters.
“I am confident the board have taken all the steps they should to ensure and maintain patient safety,” she said.
Labour health spokeswoman Monica Lennon said the public would be “shocked” to learn one of those who had died was a child as she claimed there had been a “complete lack of clarity” from the health board about the infection.
Ms Lennon said: “I think the people of Scotland will feel it is absolutely extraordinary that in a modern hospital, Scotland’s flagship and apparently super hospital no less, we have a situation where pigeons and infections can kill patients.
“If this unthinkable and deadly infection can happen at the flagship Queen Elizabeth, what is to stop it happening at other hospitals?”
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
In just a few weeks, an Alberta man and a pigeon that showed up at his ranch have become inseparable.
Greg and Maureen Germscheid say the pigeon, which Greg calls Pidge, first flew onto their property last September.
This pigeon seems to have taken a shine to Greg Germscheid, a rancher from the Entwistle, Alta., area.
“He looked so terrible when he came here,” Maureen Germscheid told CTV Edmonton.
Their concern grew through the fall, as Pidge continued to show up at the ranch near Entwistle, Alta. A few weeks ago, Greg decided to pick up the pigeon. When the bird didn’t resist or struggle, he says, a bond was formed.
The Germscheids soon found themselves amazed by Pidge’s quirks and seeming intelligence. The bird responds to mentions of its new name and seems eager to accompany Greg on his tractor and the occasional sleigh ride.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
In January, thousands of pigeon fanciers flock to the seaside resort of Blackpool where the fastest and most beautiful pigeons are cooed over by some of the most expert keepers in the game.
The British Homing World Show of the Year is the UK’s biggest gathering of pigeon fanciers, attracting up to 15,000 people to the northwest coast of England.
“Whether you are a new member, curious about pigeons, or a veteran pigeon fancier, there is something for everyone at the show,” the event promises.
It is held in Blackpool’s historic Winter Gardens venue.
The Beatles, Queen and Oasis have played in the ballroom and every post-World War II British prime minister has spoken there during party conferences.
But on the third weekend in January, the ballroom is filled with more than 2,000 pigeons, divided into those bred for showing and for racing.
“The atmosphere is very good. It’s basically a reunion for pigeon fanciers. There are people from all over the country meeting up once a year,” said David Trippett, chairman of the show’s organising committee.
“It’s all good competition. Win or lose, people still have a smile on their face,” he told AFP.
– Year-round commitment –
The stereotypical portrayal of a pigeon fancier — working class and from the industrial cities of northern England — no longer rings true.
Queen Elizabeth II keeps pigeons, and the royal loft manager was at the show.
Trippett said it took a special kind of person to keep pigeons.
“It’s commitment. You have to have a commitment to pigeons to be a good pigeon racer,” he said.
“It’s a 365-days-a-year occupation. You can’t go off for a couple of days and leave them. They need cleaning out, feeding, training.
“It’s a lifestyle. You just do it and enjoy it. There’s no finer experience than seeing your pigeons coming home, pigeons that you have fed, bred and nurtured, coming back to your loft from a 500-mile race.
You think: ‘I did that’.”
The show dates back to 1972 and has been held in Blackpool since 1977. Profits go to charity.
Besides the ballroom, trade stalls sell every conceivable pigeon accessory, and birds themselves are up for sale.
– Pigeon v tech –
Trippett said the sport was struggling to compete in a world of video games and digital entertainment.
“It’s fighting with a technological age and it is declining because of that but we are coming up with new incentives to bring more people into the sport,” he said.
There’s a young fanciers programme and lofts are being installed in schools. They are particularly successful with children with special educational needs, said Trippett.
Technology is also creeping into the sport, with live streams of lofts.
Pigeon fancier John Bell won the supreme champion show pigeon title for the seventh time — and the fourth time in a row.
This year’s winner, who is unnamed, was a one-year-old chequer cock pigeon, who won a competition in Scotland to qualify for Blackpool.
“It’s a fantastic achievement. It’s the pinnacle. It’s like winning the lottery for everyone else,” Bell told AFP.
“You’ve got to keep them in the best condition you can; bug free, lice free. The preparation for next year starts now.
“On the judging day, you’re prepping them up to keep them spotless.
“We pride ourselves on this.”
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Two people died this month after contracting a fungal infection linked to pigeon droppings.
According to The Guardian, investigators believe the individuals contracted the disease at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow, Scotland. The patients—a child and an elderly man—were being treated for Cryptococcus, an airborne fungus that’s typically linked to wild bird feces. NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, the board that runs the hospital, confirmed that the senior man died from unrelated the causes, while the factors contributing to the child’s death are still under investigation.
NHS officials announced the hospital has taken “control measures” to ensure other patients aren’t infected. Though Cryptococcus is considered harmless to the majority of humans, the hospital has installed portable air filters to prevent further infections. A small group of child and adult patients who may be vulnerable to the infection been given preventative medication. Officials also said the likely source was found in a non-public hospital room that has since been cleaned.
“[…] Most people who are exposed to it never get sick from it,” Teresa Inkster of NHSGGC told The Guardian. “We are continuing to monitor the air quality and these results are being analyzed. It remains our priority to ensure a safe environment for patients and staff.”
The hospital has not identified any other Cryptococcus cases since the control measures were implemented.
The NHS said it could not provide any more details about the aforementioned deaths due to patient confidentiality.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
