New listeria death takes toll to SIX

Six patients have now died after eating listeria-contaminated sandwiches at NHS hospitals, it emerged yesterday.

But, as with the previous five, Public Health England refused to disclose any details about the latest victim, who was infected at St Richard’s Hospital in Chichester, West Sussex.

The agency said the latest death was one of the nine cases previously confirmed and that there have been no new cases linked to the outbreak which began in April.

But the victim’s age and sex have not been made public or why they were in hospital or when exactly they died. PHE and the NHS trust which treated the victim have cited ‘patient confidentiality’ for keeping a lid on any details.

The patient is believed to have been infected by a sandwich supplied by Staffordshire-based Good Food Chain, which collapsed in June following the scandal.

On June 17, Western Sussex Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust confirmed that two patients – one at St Richard’s and one at Worthing Hospital – had been infected by listeria linked to pre-packed chicken sandwiches.

The trust said then: ‘Both displayed only mild symptoms and have been treated appropriately.’

But the patient at St Richard’s is believed to have died within the last five weeks.

Yesterday Dr Maggie Davies, the trust’s chief nurse and director of infection prevention and control, said: ‘We are greatly saddened by this news.

‘Patient safety is always our absolute priority. As soon as we were informed we may have received contaminated sandwiches we removed all products from our hospitals. Since then, we have had no further listeriosis infections reported to us.’

PHE said in a statement: ‘The individual who sadly died was one of the nine previously confirmed cases.

‘The individual is considered to have acquired listeriosis from Good Food Chain products while at Western Sussex Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

‘Public Health England continues to test all samples of listeria to check if they are linked to this outbreak.

‘To date, we have tested 34 samples and none are linked to the outbreak. Our investigations continue and the risk continues to be low.’ On May 25 sandwiches from Good Food Chain were withdrawn from 43 NHS trusts but PHE did not reveal details of the outbreak until June 7.

The agency later said nine people had become infected of whom five had died. But it was criticised by MPs and scientists for refusing to disclose details.

Two of the other deaths occurred at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, one at Aintree University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in Liverpool, one at University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust and the fifth at University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust.

The names of only three of the victims linked to the outbreak have been revealed. Inquests have been opened into two: retired chemist Enid Heap, 84, and dad-of-two businessman Ian Hitchcock, 52.

A third into the death of former nurse Beverley Sowah, 57, is set to be reopened after being concluded before details of the outbreak were disclosed. An inquest into the latest death is expected to open on Tuesday.

Backing calls for openness about the victims, former Liberal Democrat health minister Sir Norman Lamb said: ‘There can be no justification for keeping vital information secret.

Meat was produced by North Country Cooked Meats, based in Salford, Greater Manchester

The Good Food Chain, which supplied the sandwiches, is based in Stone, Staffordshire

‘I hope inquests take place soon so we get the full story and so those who have lost loved ones understand what happened and what action needs to be taken to protect others.’

Most people who eat food contaminated with listeria develop mild flu-like symptoms.

But in high-risk individuals, it can spread, leading to life-threatening complications including sepsis.