NHS Lothian Confirms Latest Situation Following Illness Problems

Investigations are continuing into a major outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease in Edinburgh which has led to the death of one man and left 15 others in a critical condition in hospitals across the Scottish capital.

NHS Lothian has confirmed that the patient in his 50’s who died had underlying health conditions, while another 13 men and two women are in intensive care.

 Another 15 people are also being treated in hospitals but the cause of their illness has not yet been confirmed. The Trust has confirmed that investigations are ongoing to identify the source, with confirmed cases being linked to the Dalry, Gorgie and Saughton areas of the city.

Legionnaires’ disease is caused by the legionella bacteria and can lead to a range of respiratory diseases, including pneumonia.

Irwin Mitchell represents people who have developed long-term health problems as a result of contracting Legionnaires’ disease in a range of locations, including hospitals, holiday resorts and workplaces in the UK and abroad.

Suki Chhokar, a Partner and specialist in illness claims at the firm, said: “We have seen cases where Legionnaires’ disease has been contracted by victims in a variety of places, from holiday resorts or from other sources in the UK including air conditioning units and cooling towers.

“Through our work we have also seen the impact that the illness can have on people, sometimes having fatal consequences and often leaving others with long-term health issues from which they never fully recover.

“Because of this, it is absolutely vital that the health authorities in Scotland work quickly and thoroughly to pinpoint and identify the source of this hugely worrying outbreak. There will rightly be much concern in Edinburgh at present so answers are needed as soon as possible.

“Thorough investigations will also ensure that plenty of information is gathered in relation to these outbreaks, which may prove vital in guaranteeing that lessons can be learned which will hopefully prevent further cases of this kind in the future.”