AN antibiotic-resistant superbug outbreak and using contaminated equipment during an operation were among three serious incidents at Colchester Hospital.

Information has been revealed on a number of infection prevention and control issues at the Turner Road site.

A report, which will go before the North East Essex Clinical Commissioning Group, outlines the serious incidents which happened during the 2018/19 financial year.

It included an outbreak of the carbapenem-resistant organism Klebsiella Pneumoniae, which affected five patients.

The outbreak was declared on August 8 and Langham ward was closed to admissions. It was declared over six weeks later on September 25.

CRO are bacteria in the bowel which can cause infections and are no longer treatable with certain antibiotics.

In September, a patient had a cystoscopy, where a camera is inserted in the bladder, using a contaminated cystoscope.

It was as the result of the correct decontamination and isolation of contaminated items process not being followed.

A third incident happened in February this year when five patients who underwent a bronchoscopy using the same equipment were found to have fungi in their system.

Work is underway to find out what happened.

The report said: “There is a possibility that contamination from the bronchoscope has caused healthcare acquired infections in these patients.”

There report says there were also 11 cases of CDI where it was found care could be improved and two norovirus outbreaks in that time.

Catherine Morgan, chief nurse at East Suffolk and North Essex Trust, which runs Colchester Hospital, said: “Patient safety is always our top priority and we take infection, prevention and control very seriously.

“A serious incident is reported when we recognise that a thorough investigation will help us to learn and put actions in place to help improve the quality of our services.

“It is, therefore, positive that we openly report and investigate any incidents to make sure we have an effective safety and learning culture.”

A spokesman for the CCG said: “Our quality team continually review and comment on the infection control incident investigation reports at Colchester Hospital and are assured that appropriate remedial action have been taken at the time of the incidents as well as the implementation of longer term learning outcomes.

“The CCG will continue to support all of the commissioned providers to work proactively in the implementation of national guidance in relation to the prevention, identification and management of infections.”