View report page

During the year there was an outbreak of suspected food poisoning at
the Maternity Unit, Rush Green Hospital.
Investigations were carried out by the Medical Officer in Senior Post
and the Public Health Inspector and at the Hospital Unit 12 of the 63 patients
(mothers or expectant) became ill. Only one member of the staff (a student
midwife) was ill.
The maternity unit was closed temporarily to new admissions.
The outbreak occurred in the early hours of the morning and comparatively
few specimens of vomit could be obtained. The findings of staphylococcus
Aureus in two vomit specimens could be significant but it was difficult to
incriminate any particular food, although Clostridium welchii was found in
raw beefburgers they were not isolated from a cooked beefburger. It was
thought that the high number of patients who vomited is not suggestive of
Clostridium welchii food poisoning.
Although the results of these investigations were not included in
the return, it does point to the revision of a privileged position with
regard to hospital kitchens whereby they are exempted from the enforcement
of the Food Hygiene Regulations and are not subject to inspection by local
authorities officers.