An MP has criticized leadership at Bradford Royal Infirmary following the deaths of two babies from a preventable bacterial infection. Naz Shah described the situation as “beyond horrific,” highlighting lapses in hygiene that allowed the superbug Klebsiella pneumoniae to spread through the hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit in November 2021.
Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, responsible for the hospital, acknowledged the failures and implemented new infection control measures, staff reinforcements, and training in response to the outbreak. Despite these efforts, Ms. Shah expressed skepticism about the hospital’s leadership, particularly in light of her personal connection to the facility where she had her own children.
She intends to write to the new health secretary, Wes Streeting, urging further investigation into the matter. The deaths occurred in the same room of the neonatal unit, affecting infants born prematurely who later succumbed to sepsis caused by the drug-resistant bacteria.
An internal investigation by the trust concluded that better adherence to hand hygiene and clarity on personal protective equipment could have prevented the bacteria’s spread. The report also noted a missed opportunity in the treatment of one of the infants.
Families affected by the tragedy expressed profound grief and frustration. Ms. Shah emphasized the need for systemic changes to prevent similar incidents in the future, stressing the importance of basic hygiene measures.
The NHS trust extended condolences to the families and emphasized improvements in infection prevention, staffing, and training. Meanwhile, the Department of Health and Social Care pledged to bolster NHS resources to ensure safe and quality care.
The hospital declined to comment directly on Ms. Shah’s criticisms, focusing instead on their commitment to enhancing patient safety and care quality in neonatal services.
