Legionella found at Monklands Hospital
Posted on 30th September 2021
A Lancashire hospital was found to have the deadly Legionella bacteria in their water supply at the hospital last week.
Routine testing last week detected legionella bacteria in the endoscopy and renal wards at Monklands Hospital.
Christina Coulombe, head of infection prevention and control at NHS Lanarkshire, said the risk of patients or staff contracting the disease with the particular strain of legionella detected was "extremely low" and the measures being taken were "precautionary" while water sampling continued.
"There have been no toilets closed but handwashing facilities are out of commission as a precautionary measure while testing is ongoing," she added.
"The option of portable sinks was discussed with staff and have now been provided in the areas requested by staff."
Susan Friel, nurse director of acute care at NHS Lanarkshire, added.
"As soon as this was identified we immediately installed filters on both wash-hand basins and shower outlets in both units to ensure the water was safe for use," she said.
"As a precaution we have also fitted filters on the wash-hand basins and shower outlets in Ward 2, which is served by the same water tank.
"We are working closely with microbiology and facilities colleagues to put in place further steps following these results to ensure the safety of patients and staff. This includes sampling on a regular basis until we have a full set of negative samples, and filters remaining in place for as long as required."
There are no cases of patients showing any signs of legionnaires' disease.
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Tagged as: bacteria, GES Water, Hospital, lancashire, Legionella, Legionnaires Disease, Public Health England, Water, waterhygiene
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