Fungal infection in Queen’s Medical Centre
Posted: July 25, 2013
Posted in: Medical Negligence
A father has criticised a Nottingham hospital ward’s monitoring standards following the discovery of a fungal infection in the ward’s ventilation system. Jon Parry’s five-year-old son, Eddy Parry, and eight other children had to be moved from the Queen’s Medical Centre after the fungal infection was detected. Jon Parry argues that more should be done in hospitals to ensure that fungal infections cannot develop.
The five-year-old from Smalley was diagnosed with bone cancer in August of last year and has been receiving treatment on ward E39 at the Queen’s Medical Centre ever since. Despite health chiefs saying that cleaning standards are monitored very closely at the hospital, regular checks were not carried out to ensure that fungus could not develop.
Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust closed the ward immediately after the aspergillus fungus was discovered. The fungus is particularly harmful towards people with an already weakened immune system.
- The aspergillus mould is most commonly found amoungst rotting leaves and compost
- It is rarely found inside building but is most commonly found in air conditioning systems, carpets and insulation materials
- The fungus causes aspergillosis – a lung infection most commonly contracted by people with existing health issues
- Often patients undertaking chemotherapy are also at high risk
Mr Parry argues that clinical inspectors should carry out regularly testing to ensure that fungal infections etc. cannot develop, as opposed to purely reacting to the situation.
Jonathan Evans, from Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “We closed the ward, moved the patients to another environment and undertook deep cleaning and took other precautionary measures.”
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