Investigations & Analysis - Northern Ireland

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Pseudomonas

The Western & Belfast Trust say hygiene standards have improved

Pseudomonas outbreak one year on: police begin investigation into babies' deaths

21 JANUARY 2013

BY NIALL MCCRACKEN

THE PSNI’s Serious Crime Branch is conducting “preliminary investigations” into the circumstances surrounding the death of four babies from pseudomonas at two Northern Ireland hospitals, 12 months after the tragedies occurred.

This week marks a year since the death of the third and last baby to die as a result of the outbreak at the Royal Jubilee Maternity Hospital in Belfast. Another baby died in December 2011 after contracting pseudomonas at Altnagelvin Hospital’s neonatal unit in Derry.

Speaking to The Detail, the solicitor representing the family of “Baby 3” says while they welcome news of an investigation, the anniversary of their baby’s death is harder to come to terms with because many questions remain unanswered, with no one yet held to account.

Baby 3 died on January 19 2012 at the Royal Jubilee Maternity Ward

No Inquest for Psuedomonas baby death

30 OCTOBER 2012

NORTHERN Ireland's chief coroner has ruled that there will not be an inquest into the death of the last baby to die of pseudomonas at the Royal Jubilee Maternity Ward in January this year, The Detail can reveal.

RQIA published their final report in May 2012

Recommendations remain outstanding

30 OCTOBER 2012

IMPORTANT measures to improve the care of newborn babies in Northern Ireland have not yet been put in place, despite deadlines set by the review team investigating the Pseudomonas outbreak.

It took the Belfast Trust two months to respond to the family of Baby 3

New pseudomonas investigation: trust now interviewing staff about Baby 3 medical records

21 JUNE 2012

The Medical Director of the Belfast Trust has contacted the family of Baby 3 to inform them that an investigation is ongoing into issues around their baby’s medical notes, including interviews with staff members. Following the publication of an interview

front page photo

Father of Baby 3: still awaiting the truth

21 JUNE 2012

THE father of the third baby to die of pseudomonas at the Royal Victoria Maternity Hospital in January has spoken for the first time to say they have been let down by authorities.

Taps were identified as the source of the infection

Family of "baby 3" want death investigated under corporate manslaughter legislation

07 JUNE 2012

The solicitor for the family of “Baby 3” has written to the PSNI asking them to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of their baby under Corporate Manslaughter legislation. While there has only been one successful conviction here under the

Ernie Waterworth of McCartan, Turkington and Breen, represents the family of Baby 3

Cuts suffered by "Baby 3" missing from the record - and the infection inquiry

31 MAY 2012 – BY NIALL MCCRACKEN

THE solicitor for the family of the third baby to die of pseudomonas at the Royal Victoria Maternity Hospital in January, has told The Detail of their pain and disappointment following the publication of phase two of the Troop Review.

The interim investigation report was published in early April

Family want explanation from review team

26 APRIL 2012 – NIALL MCCRACKEN

By Niall McCracken The solicitor for the family of the third baby to die at the Royal Jubilee Maternity Ward in January, has written to the head of the team investigating the circumstances surrounding the pseudomonas outbreak asking her to address a nu

Altnagelvin

Neonatal ward hygiene issues unresolved before baby death

26 APRIL 2012 – NIALL MCCRACKEN

By Niall McCracken The solicitor for the family of the third baby to die at the Royal Jubilee Maternity Ward in January, has written to the head of the team investigating the circumstances surrounding the pseudomonas outbreak asking her to address a nu

Taps were identified as the source of the infection

Pseudomonas outbreak: grieving family still has questions

04 APRIL 2012 – NIALL MCCRACKEN

BY NIALL MCCRACKEN THE family of the third baby who died after the pseudomonas outbreak at the Royal Jubilee Maternity Hospital (RJMH) in January 2012 have spoken for the first time to say they have concerns about gaps in the hospital records provided to

Royal Victoria Hospital

The last baby to die

04 APRIL 2012 – NIALL MCCRACKEN

The pseudomonas outbreak claimed the lives of four premature babies in December and January and a central function of the Troop review into the outbreak is to set down measures to ensure it never happens again. We examine the timeline of events.

The taps were the source of the infection in the neonatal unit

MLAs blocked from "urgent" health meeting

01 MARCH 2012 – NIALL MCCRACKEN

THE chair of Stormont's Health Committee has accused the Department of Health of preventing MLAs from attending an "urgent meeting" into hygiene failures at the Royal Jubilee neo-natal unit.

Taps were identified as the source of the infection

Regulator has yet to inspect any of NI's acute hospital neonatal units

13 FEBRUARY 2012 – NIALL MCCRACKEN

NORTHERN Ireland’s hygiene and infection regulator has never inspected any of Northern Ireland’s neonatal units. The Regulation & Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA) conducts an ongoing programme of infection prevention/hygiene inspection across NI

The taps were the source of the infection in the neonatal unit

Immunology taps failing hygiene Inspections

13 FEBRUARY 2012 – NIALL MCCRACKEN

MORE than a week after Health Minister Edwin Poots announced an investigation into the Pseudomonas outbreak, internal hygiene reports obtained by The Detail reveal that a separate ward at the Royal Victoria Hospital had already failed key hygiene targets

Gerry Bond sent three FOI requests to the Belfast Trust

Trust refusal to answer FOI because issue "still live"

13 FEBRUARY 2012 – NIALL MCCRACKEN

THE Detail has received email documentation that shows the Belfast Trust’s refusal to respond to Freedom of Information requests concerning the outbreak of Pseudomonas at the Royal’s neonatal unit because the situation is “still live".

Over the past fortnight, three babies have died after contracting a bacterial infection

Regulator has NEVER inspected neonatal infection ward

22 JANUARY 2012 – NIALL MCCRACKEN

THE Detail can reveal that the regulator tasked with conducting external infection and hygiene inspections at hospital wards across Northern Ireland has never inspected the neonatal unit at Belfast’s Royal Jubilee Maternity hospital.