Sunday Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Hospitals warned 3 years ago over sandwich danger
Listeria outbreak kills patients despite shock report
HOSPITALS were warned pre-packed sandwiches could be deadly THREE YEARS before an outbreak of listeria killed three patients who ate them, it has emerged.
Three more are seriously ill after eating infected sandwiches.
Two firms linked to the outbreak have been shut.
They are the Good Food Chain, which supplies 43 health trusts, and its supplier North Country Cooked Meats, whose factory has tested positive for the listeria strain.
The rare bacterial infection can trigger fever, vomiting and diarrhoea and even meningitis in vulnerable patients.
Hospital staff raised the alarm on May 24 and withdrew the sandwiches and salads. The link was confirmed on June 5 and revealed on Friday.
Two died at Manchester Royal Infirmary and one at Aintree University Hospital, Liverpool.
But we can reveal a report in 2016 blamed pre-pack sandwiches as the cause of “almost all” of NINE previous hospital listeria outbreaks in 13 years.
Food safety experts STS blamed “low-level contamination” at factories and “a breakdown in control of the cold chain in hospitals”.
VULNERABLE
STS found sandwiches were kept in fridges that were not cold enough, staff served packs past their use-by date and left them on trolleys for lengthy periods.
Report author Fiona Sinclair said at the time: “Hospitals and care homes feed the most vulnerable in society.
“The last thing they need is something else on top of their illness.”
The report – commissioned by the Food Standards Agency – led to new guidance for hospitals and care homes.
Former Lib Dem health minister Norman Lamb said: “It’s extraordinary and scandalous that a clear warning has gone unheeded.
“We need urgent action to disseminate this vital warning and an urgent review on how this has been handled.”
Shadow Health Secretary Jonathan Ashworth said: “Given there were warnings three years ago about listeria risks of pre-packed sandwiches, it’s urgent ministers outline what action was taken.”
He added: “Because of cuts, too many trusts offer sandwiches and soups as a meal option – it’s just not good enough.
“Quality nutritious hospital food is a vital component of care which is why Labour has pledged to enforce minimum standards.”
Dr Nick Phin, of Public Health England, said: “We, along with the FSA, colleagues in local authorities and the NHS, have worked quickly to determine the likely cause of this outbreak and taken action to reduce the risk to the public’s health.”
The FSA said it could not comment because of “an ongoing investigation”.