Inquest into Legionella death finds hospital failed to keep water supply safe

Testing by Public Health England found the Royal United Hospital water supply ward was contaminated with Legionella


An inquest into a Legionella death found that the Royal United Hospital in Bath, England, failed to keep water supply safe, according to an article on the Bath Chronicle website.

After the death of a cancer patient from a water-borne illness, the hospital staff, Mr Gubb's staff discovered that the temperature of the water in a return hot water pipe was between 35C and 40C – a temperature at which Legionella can thrive – instead of the 50C it should have been at minimum.

Further investigation discovered that there was a broken pump in a separate water loop feeding the isolation part of a ward where particularly vulnerable patients stayed. The broken pump meant that the hot water was not being returned to the boiler regularly enough to stay hot enough.

Read the article.

 

 



February 12, 2016


Topic Area: Safety


Recent Posts

The Future of Backup Power Systems in Healthcare Facilities

Manufacturers discuss what trends are shaping the future of backup power systems in healthcare.


Infection Control is Key to Ongoing Measles Outbreak

Infection control is essential to protecting both patients and staff from contracting measles.


Kaiser Permanente to Open New Parker Medical Offices

It also announced it's in the early stages of planning a rebuild and expansion of its Westminster Medical Offices.


Skanska Completes Renovation for New Sutter Health Care Center

The new facility will provide internal medicine, family medicine, pediatrics, as well as lab and imaging services.


Probiotic Cleaners: The Start of a Cleaning Revolution?

Advantages of probiotic cleaning include fewer resistant genes and cost savings through decreased antibiotic use.


 
 


FREE Newsletter Signup Form

News & Updates | Webcast Alerts
Building Technologies | & More!

 
 
 


All fields are required. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

 
 
 
 

Healthcare Facilities Today membership includes free email newsletters from our facility-industry brands.

Facebook   Twitter   LinkedIn   Posts

Copyright © 2023 TradePress. All rights reserved.