WATER-SAVING taps have been blamed for spreading an infection among babies at Royal Bolton Hospital babies this year.

The outbreak of antibiotic resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa was revealed at the most recent meeting of the hospital’s board of directors.

The report on infection control in the hospital said the outbreak had occurred in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and Special Care Baby Unit last year and four babies were affected by the bacteria.

Following the outbreak the Outbreak Control Team (OCT) found that the bacteria had spread through contaminated taps and sinks, which were being used by staff to wash their hands and which were not being cleaned adequately.

According to the board’s report: “The OCT ­— with advice from environmental experts from Publis Health England ­— concluded that the taps on the unit were contributing to the persistence of the bacteria in the environment.

“The taps in use were designed with water saving in mind and so were unlikely to be flushing with enough force or volume to flush bacteria from the outlets.”

The contaminated sinks were used by staff to wash their hands who were then transferring the infection to other babies. Cleaners were unaware of the presence of the bacteria so their usual cleaning methods were not removing the bug.

Board chairman David Wakefield said he was “disappointed” to learn the taps were not adequate, and added: “I would have thought a hospital would be on top of this.”

Trish Armstrong-Child, director of nursing, confirmed these taps which were not up to scratch had since been replaced.

She added: “When that unit was built that’s what the guidance was. It was around building regulations at the time.

"A lot has changed.”

Mr Wakefield pushed Ms Armstrong-Child on the hospital’s safety saying: “We’re happy now we don’t have that problem?”

She replied: “Yes, we changed the taps in the intensive care as part of that.”

None of the babies suffered any harm as a result of the outbreak the hospital report says. Three babies were given antibiotics but in two cases this was precautionary.

All of the babies were discharged safely.