Legionella fear shuts ward and costs trust ‘at least’ £1m

Hertfordshire Partnership Foundation Trust has increased spend of independent sector beds and sent more patients out of area to cover the loss of the mental health unit over water safety concerns, according to its most recent board papers.

The update on the incident to the July board said: “The reduction of 20 acute mental health beds at Aston Ward continues to put significant pressure on inpatient and community services across the trust.”

The unit has been shut since March after routine water testing found contamination levels “beyond those considered acceptable” and officials said “safe and hygienic bathing facilities” could no longer be guaranteed, the report said.

It said: “The risk in relation to this is the presence of legionella, which can be released into the respiratory system if outlets continue to be used.”

The update said Aston Ward, based at Lister Hospital in Stevenage, was originally due to open in May but has faced delays over the identification of asbestos and tests showing ongoing safety concerns. It said it could reopen by the end of this month, subject to further testing.

The paper said: “We have continued to support as many people as possible through crisis and community pathways and with alternative capacity.

“However, we have needed to use independent sector beds to manage the demand. Where possible we have utilised providers with whom we have contractual relationships within Hertfordshire but that has not always been possible, and there has been an increase in out of area placements.”

The trust estimated the closure had cost at least £1m in the first two months of the financial year alone, according to the papers.

A trust spokeswoman said: “We are working hard to fix the issues on Aston Ward and we are planning to reopen these beds at the start of August.”

The board report said there had been no “direct impact” linked to legionella among service users. It said there have been no complaints related to the situation nor incidents involving service users awaiting admission.