Conference highlights infection risks from sinks

Concerns over waterborne infection risks in UK hospitals have hit the headlines over the past decade. Pseudomonas bacteria were found in the water systems of Belfast's new state-of-the-art maternity hospital;¹ 21 patients were infected by bacteria in the water supply at the Royal Papworth Hospital,2 and an infection outbreak in the child cancer wards at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, Glasgow, is also believed to have originated from the hospital's water systems.³

These are just some of the high-profile incidents reported in the national press — demonstrating the need for greater consultation with Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) teams, as well as further specialist training with regards to the built environment. During the conference, speakers highlighted the need for a better understanding of the risks posed by water systems and wastewater, across all stakeholders responsible for designing, building, and commissioning, hospitals. 'Blindly following guidance' is not enough to mitigate the risks, they warned.

During the conference, delegates heard from Dr. Michael Weinbren, a Specialist Advisor in Microbiology to the New Hospital Programme, who gave an insight into some of the outbreaks that have been found to have originated from hospital water / wastewater systems — including new builds. He pointed out that the first requirement for a hospital is that it "should do no harm"; patient safety should be "front and centre".