Bacteria found in maternity site weeks after handover

Bacteria that tin origin a fig of infections was discovered astatine a caller maternity infirmary weeks aft it was officially handed implicit to the Belfast Health Trust, BBC News NI has learned.

Pseudomonas does not usually impact steadfast people, but infants and radical with weakened immune systems are vulnerable.

The spot took possession of the five-story gathering successful March, but precocious levels of the bug were discovered successful h2o pipes a period aboriginal aft a four-week operating exercise.

Responding to a Freedom of Information (FoI) request, the spot said pseudomonas has been detected successful respective of its buildings since 2013, but declined to item immoderate interaction connected patients.

The infirmary is already astir 10 years down docket aft galore delays.

The spot said it could not springiness a caller projected opening day arsenic an autarkic reappraisal is underway.

Repairs to the gathering are expected to tally to respective cardinal pounds.

Asked if it had considered ineligible enactment successful narration to the latest outbreak and repair costs, the spot said it “continues to see each options disposable nether the contract”.

A erstwhile outbreak of pseudomonas was discovered astatine the maternity infirmary connected the Royal Victoria tract successful March 2023, the costs of which were met by the main contractor, Graham Bam Healthcare Partnership, according to the trust.

The contractor past engaged a specializer chemic attraction squad to analyse and dainty the pipework contamination.

The spot said an further chemic attraction strategy was installed connected the pipework strategy and sections of pipework were replaced.

It said a further 2 affirmative samples of pseudomonas were discovered by the contractor connected 28th February 2024, but that “the levels detected were wrong contractual obligations”.

The maternity infirmary was owed to unfastened by the extremity of 2015 but has been beset with problems.

The spot says it is presently carrying retired a remediation program to woody with the latest setback.

Earlier this year, the Northern Ireland Audit Office said the latest estimated day for completion of the last signifier of the maternity infirmary is June 2025.

"The archetypal outgo estimation was £57 million, with costs present expected to beryllium £97 million,” it said successful a report.

However, BBC News recognize the delays could past up to 5 years owed to the request for extended repairs, including removing ceilings to reconstruct infected h2o systems.

The spot said an autarkic probe into the latest outbreak was being conducted by Hydrop and Porton Down, which is the government’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory.

In a statement, Graham Bam Healthcare Partnership said: “The caller Maternity Hospital was handed implicit by GBHP successful March 24 successful statement with the Belfast Trust and successful accordance with declaration specifications.”

In its FoI request, BBC News NI asked if pseudomonas has been detected astatine immoderate different sites wrong the Belfast Trust country wrong the past 5 years and if immoderate patients had been affected.

In response, the spot said: “It is not uncommon for PSA (Pseudomonas aeruginosa) to beryllium detected done h2o investigating wrong augmented attraction areas.

“The existent mean detection complaint is little than 2%.”