Every tap onisland changedafter killer bug

The Trust boss made the revelation to fellow board members at a meeting in the wake of the deadly outbreak, which claimed the life of 10-day-old Londonderry baby Caolan Burke-Campbell on December 14, 2011.

Last week the Sentinel reported how ornamental rosettes on taps in Altnagelvin’s neonatal unit were the likely breeding ground for the killer Pseudomonas pathogen which late last year infected three babies in the local hospital.

Now it can be revealed that as a result of the outbreak and similar infections in Belfast every single tap on the island is being changed.

Minutes of a Western Trust Board meeting that took place in February and have now been published state that: “The Chairman advised that throughout the period the Health Minister was briefing the Assembly.

“On January 31 the Minister confirmed that as a precautionary measure every tap on every clinical hand washing basis in every neonatal unit in Ireland was being changed.

“Water samples from these taps were also being tested as part of the investigation. Once the new taps were in place, the water from them was tested for 7 days and then at regular intervals.”

Last week the team empowered to investigate the Pseudomonas incident strongly recommended that the rosette design on the taps should be re-designed or eliminated to ensure the problem does not occur in future.

The revelations were made in the final report of the independent review team led by Professor Pat Troop who was charged with investigating the lethal outbreak which occurred before Christmas.

Professor Troop’s investigation centred on a series of Pseudomonas outbreaks across Northern Ireland including the one at Altnagelvin last winter that claimed the life of Caoimhe Campbell and Gavin Burke’s son Caolan on December 14.