Potentially deadly bacteria has been found in the water system of Belfast’s new state-of-the art maternity unit.
Pseudomonas has been detected at the £70 million facility at the Royal Victoria Hospital, which is not yet open despite assurances it would be operational by this summer.
In 2012 the bacteria claimed the lives of three babies during an outbreak at Belfast’s Royal Jubilee Maternity Hospital.
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Pseudomonas aeruginosa can cause a range of infections in newborns and others with weakened immune systems.
Several babies were infected from taps in the neonatal intensive care unit at RJMH during the 2012 outbreak - with devastating consequences for three families.
RJMH's replacement, for which the Belfast Trust sought planning permission for in 2013, is yet to open.
A source working onsite alerted us to the discovery of pseudomonas over concerns it is still showing up in tests at Belfast’s new Maternity Hospital and could be delaying its launch.
Former Health Minister Robin Swann visited the site last July ahead of its planned handover to the Belfast Trust later in 2022.
He said then the long awaited hospital was “nearing completion” and “should be in a position to welcome women and babies by next summer (2023)”.
Our source, who asked not to be named, told us: “It should have been completed by now.
“You wonder why something’s not happening and then you hear the results of tests coming back.
“From the results of pseudomonas coming out they went a lot more in depth... and they are still having a recurrence.
“I don’t know what has caused it. I do know they have been trying for the past few months to flush it out with water treatment. But I’ve been told they are still having issues with it - which is concerning.
“Obviously they are not going to open a Maternity Hospital with it there. With the previous outbreak you would rather be working with it and getting it identified.”
Our source says the new Maternity Hospital is “really high tech” and that the “facilities will be brilliant”.
They added: “It’s just to have it sitting there people will start to wonder. They will get there, it’s just concerning this has been kept very hush.”
The Belfast Trust confirmed the presence of pseudomonas in the new hospital’s water system but said this is not why its opening has been delayed.
They told us their contractors are “taking action” and since the new maternity hospital is not yet operational “no patients have been affected”.
Their full statement on the issue says: “As part of the routine monitoring of the new Maternity Hospitals water systems the contractor has advised they have detected pseudomonas. The contractor is taking action to remediate this.
“As this building is not yet open, no patients have been affected. We regularly test for pseudomonas across all of our sites.
“We are working closely with the contractor to solve this issue.”
The Trust told us they now expect Belfast’s new Maternity Hospital to open in 2024.
A spokesperson for NI Water said: "NI Water cannot comment on a specific case/application process, however, Regulation 5 of The Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2009 requires any person/organisation who proposes to install a water fitting(s) in connection with the erection of any building, extension or alteration of any water system or in making a material change of use of any premises to notify NI Water beforehand. The notification process is free but failure to make such an application could risk your compliance status and cause costly extra work later.
“NI Water strongly recommends that any work be undertaken by an approved/accredited plumber, who themselves may undertake certain works without the need to notify NI Water, and who will provide a certificate on completion. Where work requires the provision of new water or sewerage connections to NI Water infrastructure it is likewise imperative that any person/organisation makes an application to NI Water."
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