Lewisham University Hospital. Pic: Edward Spratt
Lewisham and Hackney University Hospitals have both been supplied by the food company linked to the nationwide listeria outbreak in hospitals, it was disclosed this week.
Both hospitals are on the list of 43 NHS Public Trusts across the country that are supplied by the company Good Food Chain, whose sandwiches and salads are said to have caused the outbreak. There have not been any reports of listeria among patients at the hospitals.
A spokesperson for Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust told Eastlondonlines that there had been no reports of listeria at their NHS Trust.
Another spokesperson said: “As soon as Public Health England alerted us to this issue last month, we immediately removed all Good Food Chain products.”
“We have not stocked any products from Good Food Chain since the health alert was issued.”
A spokesperson at Homerton University Hospital also said that there had been no reports of listeria at their trust and that they had ceased using any products from Good Food Chain at the end of May, following an alert from Public Health England.
In a statement, they said: “Any of the company’s products – which included sandwiches and salads for our inpatient food service and our on-site restaurants – were removed at that time. We are now offering pre-packed food from another supplier.
“We will continue to follow Public Health England’s guidance, and reiterate the PHE message that the health risk to the public remains low and individuals should only seek medical attention if they develop symptoms which are explained on the PHE website.”
Seven of the 43 NHS Trusts have reported an outbreak of listeria across the country. Nine patients have been affected, of whom five have died.
Public Health England have said that the risk to the public remains ‘low’ and that patients should only seek treatment if they develop symptoms.
Listeria is a bacterium that causes a type of food poisoning named listeriosis. Symptoms are normally mild and go away after a few days.
However, the cases occurred in patients who were already seriously ill with weakened immune systems and more vulnerable to the risk of severe infection.
