PARENTS of children being treated at a cancer unit hit by three new cases of rare infections have been told the ward is “absolutely safe”.

Ward 6a of the Royal Hospital for Children has been closed to new admissions after two children were diagnosed with two difference bugs in the past few days. Another paediatric patient was treated for a separate, rare infection.

New patients are being diverted to other hospitals including Edinburgh children’s hospital, while current cancer patients are continuing to be treated in the war

The health board said staff had spoken to parents to offer reassurances and added: “We can absolutely offer our reassurance to the parents and families that Ward 6A is safe.”

Read more: Two more children struck down by rare bugs at Glasgow children's hospital 

Two patients are continuing to receive treatment and the board said that while there is no link to the ward environment “at this stage” infection control procedures are under review including hand hygiene.

A major government inquiry is underway to look at whether the design, construction and maintenance of the adult and children’s hospitals is linked to a series of infections over the past two years. It was ordered after the death of two patients - including a 10-year-old cancer patient - who had contracted a bug linked to pigeon droppings.

An NHS source said: “Cancer patients, and children particularly, are prone to infections, especially if undergoing treatment such as chemo- or radiotherapy, which weakens the immune system further.

“A child cancer patient developing a rare infection does not in itself mean the hospital has been negligent unless it can be shown that

a. the bug was identified in a particular place eg. water supply

b. that same bug was identified as causing the infection eg. isolated from the bloodstream of a cancer patient suffering that infection.

c. the hospital should have put in place precautions to prevent the patient being exposed to the bug eg. special water filters.

“A higher rate (of infections) MAY mean a problem with the hospital but it may also mean they have had a particularly bad run due to no fault of their own.”

Read more: Is Glasgow's super-hospital safe? Major inquiry to focus on patient infection deaths

A spokeswoman for NHSGGC said: “We have already spoken to the parents on the ward and provided them with written information which includes the offer to meet with our clinical, nursing and infection control staff to discuss any concerns they may still have.”

NHS sources have raised concerns that patients and staff at the adult hospital are gaining access to staff lifts - which should only operate with a staff pass - saying it poses an infection risk.

She said: “You wouldn’t want visitors using lifts that patients are transferred in. The risk of cross infection is huge.

“From what I’ve seen, the cleaners clean the lifts daily but the public and unescorted patients use them constantly all day, every day.”