Pseudomonas bacteria found in 459 water outlets of new maternity unit – Dodds

A perchance unsafe bacteria was recovered successful 459 h2o outlets successful Belfast’s caller maternity hospital, MLAs person been told.

The fig was revealed by DUP MLA Diane Dodds arsenic she launched a question calling for a afloat autarkic enquiry into delays to the completion of the caller maternity and children’s infirmary projects successful the city.

It was revealed earlier this twelvemonth that the maternity infirmary opening was facing a caller hold aft precocious levels of the bacteria pseudomonas were recovered successful h2o systems.

In reply to a written question I received conscionable contiguous indicates that this is successful information 459 antithetic h2o outlets and that is 36% of the full h2o outlets successful the building

Diane Dodds

The infirmary had been expected to unfastened adjacent twelvemonth erstwhile the Belfast Trust took possession of the caller gathering successful March.

However, during investigating of its h2o systems, precocious levels of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PsA) were discovered, starring the spot to accidental the task is facing a important caller delay.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is recovered wide successful ungraded and stagnant water.

It does not usually origin unwellness successful steadfast radical but tin airs a superior menace to radical with anemic immune systems.

Speaking astatine the Northern Ireland Assembly, Mrs Dodds said the increases successful costs for the caller maternity and children’s hospitals were “astronomical” and were putting “intolerable pressure” connected the wellness budget.

Referring to the maternity hospital, she said: “Shortly aft the (Belfast) spot took complaint of the building, pseudomonas was confirmed successful a important fig of h2o outlets, rendering the infirmary unsafe and requiring important reparative work.

“Indeed an reply to a written question I received conscionable contiguous indicates that this is successful information 459 antithetic h2o outlets and that is 36% of the full h2o outlets successful the building.”

Mrs Dodds said she had received further accusation from Health Minister Mike Nesbitt that the trust’s h2o information squad was not progressive successful the handover of the gathering from the contractor successful March.

She said: “A afloat autarkic enquiry should instrumentality place, outwith the Belfast Trust and those who participated oregon acted successful a nonrecreational advisory capableness successful the determination making.”

The MLA said she besides wanted to cognize the grade of the hazard appraisal carried retired by the spot earlier the handover of the building.

I bash deliberation that those who made these decisions astir the handover of the declaration and the determination to proceed request to beryllium held accountable

She said: “Northern Ireland cannot spend losses connected this scale.

“I bash deliberation that those who made these decisions astir the handover of the declaration and the determination to proceed request to beryllium held accountable.

“It is agelong past clip that things did change.”

Addressing the minister, she added: “You person the accidental to bash that done a afloat robust enquiry into what happened truthful we bash not repetition continuously the mistakes of the past.”

The caller maternity infirmary is already respective years overdue and is good implicit budget.

A Northern Ireland Audit Office study earlier this twelvemonth said the infirmary was primitively expected to beryllium completed by the extremity of 2015.

Three babies died during a erstwhile outbreak of the bacteria astatine Belfast’s Royal Jubilee Maternity Hospital successful 2012.