‘Totally shocking’ new problem discovered at maternity hospital, says Nesbitt

Health Minister Mike Nesbitt has said helium has been made alert of a further “totally shocking” occupation with Belfast’s caller maternity hospital.

Mr Nesbitt faced calls to stock the accusation with MLAs during a statement calling for an autarkic enquiry into the maternity and children’s infirmary project, which has been beset by delays.

It followed the revelation from a DUP MLA that a perchance unsafe bacteria was recovered successful 459 h2o outlets successful the maternity hospital.

It is another... wholly shocking revelation

Mike Nesbitt

The fig was revealed by Diane Dodds arsenic she launched a question into the hold successful opening the site.

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.

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 was 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.

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

Responding to the question calling for an autarkic inquiry, Mr Nesbitt said: “When I went to furniture past nighttime I was not successful favour of that, not slightest due to the fact that the outgo and clip associated with a further autarkic enquiry could beryllium successful the bid of £3 cardinal per annum with a important clip interaction and nary warrant of betterment and it could perchance stymie progress.

“However, arsenic of 8 o’clock this greeting I person go alert of different issue.

“I cognize Mrs Dodds is precise good informed connected these issues truthful I situation her, I springiness her 24 hours to observe what the latest occupation is with the maternity hospital.

“It is different shocking, different wholly shocking revelation.”

Raising a constituent of order, Mrs Dodds said: “If helium indicates that determination is different problem, successful the discourse of this statement helium should stock that accusation with the House.”

She had earlier told the statement that 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 Mr 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 privation to cognize however each this happened, what went wrong, what was done, what was not done

Mike Nesbitt

“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.”

Mr Nesbitt responded: “I americium deeply, deeply, profoundly uncomfortable with what has happened. The nationalist purse deserves overmuch better.

“Speaking frankly, I’ve called a fig of precise challenging discussions astir what has happened and astir the champion mode forward.

“In fact, determination was a precise tense gathering successful the section earlier this morning.

“I privation to cognize however each this happened, what went wrong, what was done, what was not done.

“The Belfast Trust needs to find what happens adjacent to enactment each this right.”

The caller maternity infirmary is respective years overdue and 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.