Woodland View Sheffield: Residents washed with 'bottled water and baby wipes' after Legionella found in water

Staff at a nursing home in Sheffield are being forced to wash residents with bottled water and baby wipes after Legionella, the bacteria linked to Legionnaires' disease and Pontiac fever, was found in the water system last week, according to a whistleblower.

Managers at the Woodland View nursing facility in Lightwood, near Norton, have moved some residents out of the home but not all of them, despite treatment to deal with the bacteria only starting today. Legionella was first detected on Friday.

The Star was informed the treatment will involve putting a "highly toxic chemical" through the water pipes to tackle the bacteria.

The source, who will remain anonymous to protect their identity, said: "I was going to walk out due to the conditions. We have bottled water to wash them and baby wipes.

"They should have moved residents out of the building, but have continued to function. It's absolutely disgusting."

The Star was informed that Legionella, the pathogenic bacteria linked to Legionnaires' disease and Pontiac fever, was detected in Woodland View's water system on Friday, August 18. Residents on the acute 'Beech' ward were said to have been relocated to NHS accommodation on Firshill Rise, Firshill, but residents in the home's dementia unit were made to stay put.

"It's just horrific."

Legionella is the same bacteria found on the Bibby Stockholm barge, which forced the government to remove migrants they planned to house there on safety grounds.

Due to the bacteria in the water system at Woodland View, it is alleged neither staff, nor residents, can access running water to drink or wash. However, due to the home operating a unit for dementia patients, nurses are reportedly struggling to keep residents from using the taps, the source has told The Star.

The whisteblower fears residents could die.

They said: "It's just horrific. I don't understand why they are keeping the residents here. If it was your mother or my father I would want them moved out."

The whistleblower provided The Star with images of sinks being taped across and baby wipes in bathrooms to be used when washing residents. Toilets are reportedly being covered so residents cannot be splashed by the water.

It is alleged one resident, who is incontinent, was being washed using the wipes and bottled water multiple times a day. One member of staff is said to have cleaned a corridor where a resident defecated using bottled water.

The whistleblower has reported the situation is so serious, that visitors have been prohibited from coming onto the site.

They said one resident is "dying from a chest infection" and another man has been taken to hospital since Legionella was found, however, it is not confirmed the bacteria has anything to do with either resident's condition.

The Star's source claims numerous care staff and nurses have raised concerns to management. They also allege this isn't the first time there has been Legionalla discovered.

Neil Robertson, Executive Director of Operations and Transformation for Sheffield Health and Social Care NHS Foundation Trust, said: "On Friday August 18 following routine testing, early presumptive tests indicated increased levels of legionella within the water system at Lightwood Site.

“Immediate remedial action was taken to address this with the critical priority of ensuring the safety of our staff and service users at the site. Over the weekend we carried out a thorough response to the outbreak with the safety of staff and service users as our critical priority.

“We moved service users who were staying at Beech to an alternative site. At Woodland View, a care home for service users with complex dementia, we took immediate action to deliver alternative sources of water to ensure care was delivered to a safe standard and agreed some relocation for specific service users.

“Subsequent confirmed test results have shown today that the increased legionella levels have been confirmed in the unit which was relocated on Friday and a small number of unused water sources in another unit. This is following detailed testing and review by our water safety contractors, estates, microbiology and Infection Prevention and Control teams.

 “Now that we have ascertained that the raised legionella counts are isolated to Beech, which was evacuated on Saturday, we are working with our contractors to remedy the situation and address the root cause of the isolated outbreak.

 "The water sources at Woodland View remain isolated and have received the appropriate treatment over the weekend. The remaining sources of water are unaffected and routine care and services are restored across the rest of Lightwood site.

 "We are incredibly proud of the work of our staff over the weekend who worked incredibly hard to make sure the safety of our service users was prioritised. I also want to thank our service users, their families and carers for their understanding and cooperation."