Hancock orders NHS food review

A ‘root and branch’ review of hospital food has been ordered by Health Secretary Matt Hancock after two more deaths were linked to an outbreak of listeria.

Public Health England said on 14 June that the number of deaths related to pre-packed sandwiches and salads at hospitals had risen from three to five, whilst products from the Good Food Chain, which supplied to 43 NHS trusts, have been withdrawn and production halted.

PHE confirmed two patients from Manchester Royal Infirmary and one at Aintree Hospital in Liverpool had died. Dr Nick Phin, deputy director of the National Infection Service at PHE, said there had been no new cases in over two weeks, stressing that the department has taken steps to make sure the product is no longer distributed, and therefore ‘the public and the NHS patients are safe’.

A listeria infection can cause a small amount of discomfort but is more likely to seriously affect pregnant women, the elderly and those with a weakened immune system. Listeria is a bacterium that can cause a type of food poisoning called listeriosis.

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This story was first published in digitalhealth.net

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