Bentley Court, Meanwood: Health and Safety Executive issues statement after legionnella found at Leeds retirement home
The Health and Safety Executive has issued a statement following confirmed traces of legionella bacteria at a Leeds retirement home.
Anchor, which owns and operates Bentley Court in Meanwood, confirmed this week that it found traces of the bacteria in one resident’s flat.
The Yorkshire Evening Post understands one resident has been taken to hospital after becoming “very ill”. Anchor said it was working with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
Legionella is a form of bacteria that can be found in water. It leads to legionnaires’ disease, which the NHS website describes as a lung infection that “can be very serious”.
A HSE spokesperson has said: “After being made aware of a single case of legionnaires’ disease in January, our review into the care home’s systems for controlling risk continues.”
The HSE added that it was made aware of the case through the UK Health Security Agency and that no further cases have since been reported.
Earlier this week a spokesperson for Anchor said: “We recently conducted water sampling at Bentley Court which indicated the presence of Legionella bacteria within one individual flat. We have taken swift and comprehensive action to address this, and there is no cause for other residents to be concerned.”
It said that the HSE was “content with the actions we have taken” to understand how the bacteria developed and that “the health and safety of our residents remains paramount”.
A meeting was held with residents of Bentley Court yesterday (Tuesday) “to reassure them and to answer any questions they may have”.