News Writing Assignment 2

Croxford Hospital closes after outbreak of the Legionnaires’ disease.

From 10am this morning, patients that are waiting for non-emergancy operations have been sent home and also no further patients are being permitted due to the outbreak of the disease which is thought to have started in the air conditioning unit on the marternity ward, which was detected around 7pm yesterday evening. All patients have been told to contact their GP's for any problems.
Within the burst of the Legionnaires' disease, two women have been victims of it already and recently the thrid victim being a new born baby in the ward.

Nearly 250 patients in the hospital, will have to be transferred to other hopsitals around the area, this is for their own safety. As the families of the patients still within the hospital, they have stopped all visitors until the patients are transferred out of Croxford hospital, therefore the hospital has set up a hotline for any relatives wanting to get hold of patients.

Three patients have been sent to Parkhurt hospital to be treated, two of whom who have just had babies and one newborn baby. The Mother of one of the patients, Lilly Harborne, 59, said: "My daughter had the baby, a little boy, on Friday. They've kept the baby in hospital for treatment, we are all absolutely distraught." A midwife who was working on the ward at the time is also being treated.

Causing a number of complications, Legionnaires' disease can cause, worst of all; failure to major important organs, acute renal failure, it can also cause the organism to spread through the bloodstream. It has been said that air conditioning units can cause people great harm, the symptoms often start with coughing, generally start to get aches and headaches.

As the hospital is closed for a few days, this means the emergancy arrangements are set to be in place only for a couple more days. Now everyone is just waiting for the all clear, so we know it is safe and clear of the infection.