Basildon Hospital gets Centre for Disease Control help on legionella

Last-minute changes to a hospital building might have played a part in the spread of legionella which caused two patients' deaths, it has emerged.

There have been 12 inpatient legionella cases at Basildon Hospital since 2002.

Advice on controlling the potentially fatal bug has been given by consultants and the US-based Center for Disease Control (CDC).

The hospital is now looking into concerns the wrong water systems were installed in one of the wings.

Figures released to BBC News show the hospital is each year spending £600,000 - a fifth of its total maintenance budget - on attempts to control legionella.

Over the years a number of consultants have been brought in to try to solve the problems.

Last-minute changes to the design of part of the hospital site have now been cited as a possible cause of legionella there.

In a £60,000 report for the NHS Midlands and East, Alison Cowie, a director of public health, said there were "concerns" that the three-storey Jubilee Wing - where five of the last seven legionella cases were recorded - might have had a water management system installed meant for a two-storey building.

"This wing, completed in 2002, was originally intended to be a two-storey building, but late on during construction, it was agreed to extend it to three storeys.

"There are concerns that the water management system (which may be designed for a two-storey building) may not be suitable for the building, particularly with regards to the circulation of water and temperature control," she said.

Hospital spokeswoman Rachel Unsworth said it had commissioned a further report by specialist building consultants to "look into the water system design" on the wing and assess the "overall suitability of the original hot and cold water system".

The results of that survey, which is costing a further £7,000, are not yet known.

A spokesman for NHS Midlands and East said: "One of the recommendations within in the review is that the trust should commission an examination of the hot and cold circuits within the Jubilee Wing to determine fitness for purpose and make recommendations for necessary changes.

"We expect the trust to take the necessary action required, which will include consideration of any redress from the building's design and build contractor."

He added the CDC took part in a one-hour teleconference meeting to offer its advice on legionella control.

"CDC is an internationally recognised organisation with substantial expertise," he said.

"We already had considerable input from experts in the UK but wanted to seek input to see if we were missing anything from experts in other countries."

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is prosecuting the hospital under the Health and Safety at Work Act and a hearing is expected early next year.