Hospital fined £80,000 over Daryl Eyles' death from legionella

Hospital fined £80,000 over legionella death - Guardian

Extract:

"A hospital has been fined £80,000 after a man who had recovered from leukemia died after contracting legionnaires' disease just days before he was due to be discharged.

After months of chemotherapy, Daryl Eyles had been told he was in remission and could plan to leave hospital when he contracted legionnaires' disease from a hospital shower head and died.

Yesterday Bath's Royal United hospital, which later admitted liability for Mr Eyles' death after an investigation found that basic maintenance of its water system had not been carried out, was fined £80,000 for ignoring safety guidelines. Judge Richard Bromilow said at Bristol crown court that the trust had been guilty of failing to comply with a series of safety guidelines when Mr Eyles died in 2004. He described the penalty as an "awful irony" because it would have an impact on health services provided by the hospital.

Mr Eyles, 37, a security guard at Bath University, was diagnosed with leukaemia after developing an abscess in August 2003. Shortly after his final chemotherapy session in January 2004, he took a shower at the William Budd oncology unit, became ill with a fever, and died a week later. A postmortem revealed he had the legionella bug in his system."

Patient died of legionnaires' disease caught from a dirty showerhead in Bath's Royal United hospital (NHS Trust)

Hospital guilty over legionnaires' death

Extract:

"A hospital where a patient died of legionnaires' disease caught from a dirty showerhead was criticised in court yesterday for "blatantly" ignoring safety guidance.

Daryl Eyles, 37, contracted the disease hours before he was due to leave hospital following successful treatment for cancer. Bath's Royal United hospital (RUH) yesterday pleaded guilty to charges that it carried out inadequate safety checks of its water system.

Jennifer Gunning, chair of the bench that heard the case at Bath magistrates court, referred the case to Bristol crown court because she did not feel the lower court's sentencing powers were sufficient. She said: "Guidance was available for more than 10 years, but this was blatantly not followed. The RUH management was inadequate. Mr Eyles died as a result of those failings and many other vulnerable patients were put at risk. We believe this to be so serious that our sentencing powers are not sufficient.""