Inspection of Louth hospital highlights risk of contracting Legionnaires Disease

A Hiqa inspection at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Louth has highlighted hygiene issues, including the risk of contracting Legionnaires Disease.

The report expressed concern that the risk of the bacteria that causes the disease persists in the hospital water supply, despite significant investment to address the problem.

Hiqa said that the hospital needs to re-evaluate and improve upon its management of the risks of contracting Legionnaires.

Meanwhile another inspection at Beaumont Hospital in Dublin found it had persistently identified significantly high levels of the bacteria that causes Legionnaires from routine sampling of water outlets in a number of clinical areas.

Hiqa said that Beaumont needs to adopt a more systematic approach to the ongoing assessment of its water supply system in line with national guidelines.