News Corners

A third baby has died following an outbreak of a deadly infection at the Royal Hospital in Belfast.

The hospital’s maternity unit, which is the biggest in Northern Ireland, has been cleared and will be deep cleaned over the weekend as the cause is investigated.

The deaths have been linked to the pseudomonas infection, which can cause severe breathing difficulties and other problems.

Two heavily pregnant women have been forced to travel 100 miles to Dublin to have their babies because of the deadly outbreak.

All expectant mothers are likely to be transferred to other hospitals in the Irish Republic and Britain until the unit is back in action.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a bacteria found in soil, water, plants and animals, and is particularly harmful to those who are already ill.

It can be successfully treated with antibiotics.

Belfast Health and Social Care Trust said it believed the situation was under control.

Admissions have been restricted to all but the most seriously ill babies who cannot be treated elsewhere.

Neonatal consultant Dr Clifford Mayes told a news conference that the first death was on January 6, the second on January 13 and the third on Thursday.

“We first became aware there was a major problem on Monday night,” he said. “That was when our laboratory was able to tell us that the first death had the same strain of the organism – an identical organism – to a another baby in the unit. Action was taken at that point.”

Trust chief executive Colm Donaghy told Sky News that all babies in the unit had been screened but the test results would take some days to come back.

He sought to allay the fears of mothers due to give birth at the hospital.

“We have the arrangements in place to ensure that we can provide a safe delivery for all mothers,” he said. “They should not be concerned about coming to the Royal.”

Staff believe the infection has not spread to other areas of the hospital site. The first two babies to die were born prematurely.

Northern Ireland’s Health Minister Edwin Poots said he was desperately saddened by the three deaths.

He insisted all necessary steps were being taken to reduce the risk of the infection spreading.

“It is important that we remain calm. Infection control teams are now in the process of trying to identify the source of the infection and minimise the risk of spread to other babies in the unit,” he said.