Ford Ward set to close after legionella scare (From Salisbury Journal)

Ford Ward set to close after legionella scare

9:00am Friday 17th September 2010 in News By Miranda Robertson

A WARD at Fordingbridge Hospital is set to close for a month after the |potentially-fatal bacteria, legionella, was discovered in the hot water system.

The hospital has been dealing with the bacteria in Ford Ward for some time, but special filters to stop patients and staff becoming infected is costing £18,500 a month.

The ward is being closed and new “point of source” water heaters will be installed.

Patients due to be treated there over the next month will still be accommodated after Hampshire Community Healthcare Trust increased capacity in Lymington and Romsey hospitals.

A spokesman for the trust said: “The safety of our patients and staff is of paramount importance to us.”

The spokesman added: “For some time we have been testing, and safely managing, a high count of legionella in the water systems at Ford Ward at Fordingbridge Hospital.

“Although this legionella has not been isolated in any patient area, and poses no immediate risk to patients and staff, we have already taken the precautionary measure of installing special filters on every single tap and shower head within the ward, which has guaranteed us that any water which comes into any contact with a patient or member of staff does not contain legionella.

“However, at a cost of £18,500 a month this is not a sustainable long-term solution.”

The new heaters will be separate from the old system, and will start to be installed on Monday.

The spokesman said: “We will be completing the work on a room-by-room basis, and we aim for our outpatients clinics to remain operational, with minimal disruption while building work takes place.

“However, due to the nature of the ward as a building we have taken the decision that it is in the best interests of the patients to vacate the inpatient ward during October.”