Mouldy home will be the death of me

Tony blames housing association for his worsening asthma and two bouts of pneumonia

- BY JENNIFER HYLAND

AN NHS worker is suing his housing association over claims a mould-ridden flat has ruined his health and left him hospitalised with pneumonia.

The shocking case highlights the plight of thousands of Scots forced to live in sub-standard and unsafe accommodation, often while paying sky-high rents.

Tony Blair spent 19 days in hospital after being diagnosed with pneumonia in 2019. He was then hospitalised again for two weeks in 2021, before coming down with pneumonia again last year.

His bouts of ill health and worsening asthma have come after he moved into his Glasgow flat, owned by Queens Cross Housing Association, in 2017.

A month after moving in Tony, a catering assistant at Glasgow's Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, first noticed fungal mould caused by dampness on his bedroom and living room walls, which began to spread.

The 57-year-old grandad of two repeatedly raised the issue with his housing association and on at least four occasions workers have come to fix the problem only for damp patches to return days later.

Tony said: “I do worry that if I catch pneumonia again, will it kill me? I worry how long have I got? It plays on my mind a lot. I go to bed at night knowing that the dampness in my room is making me ill.

"The first time I became very ill with pneumonia and I spent 19 days on a ward. I then had it again and was in hospital in 2021 and the last time was in February 2024 when I was treated at home.