Baby Sophia Smith died at the Royal Hospital for Children at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital Campus, Glasgow on 11 April 2017.

In her determination, Sheriff Joanna McDonald made formal findings that an active blood stream infection caused by methicillin sensitive Staphylococcus aureus producing Panton-Valentine Leucocidin (PVL-MSSA) materially contributed to Sophia’s death.

However, she found that there were no precautions which could reasonably have been taken, that may have prevented Sophia’s death.

The PVL-MSSA infection was not related to the built hospital environment and was not associated with the new build hospital at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital campus, Glasgow.

PVL-MSSA is a rare strain of Staphylococcus aureus, which is both virulent and aggressive. Vulnerable patients, such as extremely ill neonates like Sophia, are particularly at risk from serious harm or death.

The sheriff made a recommendation for weekly screenings for Staphylococcus aureus colonisation, in babies being treated in neonatal intensive care and for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde to review their existing protocol.

The sheriff also made a recommendation for Public Health Scotland to share risk, diagnosis and treatment information on PVL-MSSA infections, with other neonatal clinical teams throughout Scotland.