Listeria outbreak: More affected hospitals named

Eight hospitals in seven NHS Trusts have reported cases of listeria linked to pre-packed sandwiches and salads eaten by patients, Health Secretary Matt Hancock has confirmed.

The list includes Leicester Royal Infirmary and two hospitals in Western Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, along with hospitals in Derby, Liverpool, Manchester and Wexham.

Nine patients have been affected, of whom five have died.

The food involved has been withdrawn.

The Good Food Chain had supplied salads and/or sandwiches to the following 43 NHS trusts:

• North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust

• East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust

• The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust

• Chelsea and Westminster NHS Foundation Trust

• Homerton University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

• Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust

• Kings College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

• Kingston Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

• Lewisham and Greenwich Hospital NHS Trust

• Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust

• Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

• Birmingham Women's and Children's NHS Foundation Trust

• Black Country Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

• Leicester Partnership NHS Trust

• Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

• University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust

• University Hospitals Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust - one confirmed fatal case of listeria

• University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust - one confirmed fatal case of listeria

• University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust

• Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust

• Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust

• The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust

• Aintree University Hospitals NHS Trust - one confirmed fatal case of listeria

• Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

• Bolton Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

• Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust

• Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

• East Cheshire NHS Trust

• Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust - two confirmed fatal cases of listeria

• Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust

• North West Boroughs Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

• Warrington and Halton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

• Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

• The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust

• Ashford and St Peter's Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

• Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

• East Kent Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust - one confirmed case of listeria

• Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust - one confirmed case of listeria

• Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

• Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

• Western Sussex Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust - one confirmed case of listeria

• Royal Berkshire Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

• Weston Area Health NHS Trust

• Virgin (Farnham Hospital) - independent provider

Public Health England says the health risk to the public remains low, and individuals should only seek medical attention if they develop symptoms.

Listeria is a bacterium which can cause a type of food poisoning called listeriosis.

Normally, the symptoms are mild - a high temperature, chills, feeling sick - and go away on their own after a few days

But in this outbreak, the cases occurred in people who were already seriously ill in hospital, and they are most at risk of severe infection.

Listeria can then cause damage to organs, spread to the brain or bloodstream, and be fatal.