Considering the best pipework route for safety

In all hospitals, whether NHS or private sector, there are constant challenges around the need to prevent hospital-borne infections from exacerbating existing conditions or prolonging a patient’s hospital stay. The so-called ‘superbugs’ – such as MRSA, CRE, and EBSL – are potential killers, because they are resistant to antibiotics, but, to date, thorough cleaning regimes and vigilance with handwashing have proved effective in reducing and controlling outbreaks. Meanwhile, bacterial infections such as C. difficile can also spread rapidly, but are usually easy to treat with antibiotics, and fatalities are rare. Indeed, Office for National Statistics (ONS) data for both MRSA and C. difficilerelated deaths clearly demonstrate that the rate of life-threatening infection has decreased over the past decade, indicating the success of awareness campaigns, cleanliness best practice, and handwashing. Meanwhile, however, the incidence of Legionnaires’ Disease is actually increasing, and the very water systems used to improve handwashing and stem infection in hospitals could be allowing the bacteria to propagate.

How big is the problem?

One of the difficulties with understanding the scale of the problem when it comes to Legionnaires’ Disease is that the condition is difficult to diagnose, and is often overlooked or dismissed as cold or ‘flu symptoms. Consequently, it can be hard to find accurate data, and the recorded incidents may mask a much more endemic problem with plumbing systems that allow and facilitate the growth of Legionella bacteria.