Safety measures at hospital maternity unit after hot water becomes discoloured

Precautionary safety measures have been put in place within maternity services at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh after discolouration was noticed in hot water.

The neonatal unit has temporarily paused external admissions and the birthing pools are out of use as investigations continue.

NHS Lothian said discolouration was identified in hot water from a number of outlets within the maternity unit late on Wednesday afternoon.

Cold and drinking water are not affected and investigations are under way to establish the cause of the hot water issue.

The health board said medical and infection prevention and control teams have assessed that any risk to mothers, babies, visitors or staff is very low, and maternity services continue to operate with some short-term precautions in place.

Michelle Carr, acute services chief officer at NHS Lothian, said: “We understand that this situation may cause concern and want to reassure patients, families and staff that health and safety is our highest priority and we are taking a highly precautionary approach while we work through this issue.

“Both NHS Lothian and our estates contractor are working hard to resolve the issue swiftly and the situation is being closely monitored. Enhanced infection prevention and control measures are also in place.

“We are grateful to our patients and visitors for their understanding and co-operation.”

The health board said that precautionary safety measures were introduced quickly and will remain in place while further assessments and actions are carried out.

The health board said infection prevention and control measures that are already standard across all maternity departments remain firmly in place.

It said an expert multi-disciplinary incident management team made up of infection control, water engineers, microbiological and clinical teams has been established to oversee the investigation and ensure prompt resolution.

NHS Lothian’s maternity services operate across two hospital sites.

The health board said patients may be treated at either the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh or St John’s Hospital sites depending upon clinical need and capacity, as usual.