- An NHS hospital trust in Kent has been accused of failing to promptly report a suspected meningitis case to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).
- The Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Hospital in Margate did not notify the UKHSA until Friday 13 March despite suspecting meningitis by Thursday mid-morning, exceeding the 24-hour reporting requirement.
- Health Secretary Wes Streeting said he is taking the matter seriously, though he believes the two-hour delay "did not have a material impact" on the wider outbreak.
- The East Kent Hospitals University Foundation Trust, which runs the hospital, admitted there was an "opportunity prior to diagnosis being confirmed" to alert health officials.
- The incident occurred amidst a meningitis outbreak in Kent, which has led to the deaths of two students and resulted in 20 confirmed laboratory cases and two under investigation.
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