Investigation after patient catches Legionnaires Disease in hospital

ITV REPORT 14 December 2016 at 3:15pm

An investigation has been launched after a woman receiving treatment at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital caught Legionnaires Disease.

It’s thought the patient may have caught the infection at the Severn Dialysis Unit in early October.

There were no other patients affected and the hospital says remedial work and enhanced control measures have removed any possible risk of infection to patients, visitors and staff.

It’s not thought the incident is related to any lapse in its control measures, and the trust which manages the hospital says it has thorough systems for water safety and quality.

A joint investigation between the hospital and Public Health England is ongoing.

Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust says it reported the infection promptly to Public Health England.
e recognise that this must be a distressing time for our patient and we have been keeping the patient fully informed about this isolated event.

We are taking further precautions by increasing our water testing to minimise further the chance of this occurring again.
– TRUST SPOKESMAN

WHAT IS LEGIONNAIRES’ DISEASE?
It’s a serious infection which can cause organs such as lungs or kidneys to stop working properly.
It’s spread through legionella bacteria – usually by breathing in droplets of contaminated water.
Initial symptoms are similar to the flu and include headaches, muscle pain, tiredness, high temperatures or chills.
Last updated Wed 14 Dec 2016