Royal Papworth Hospital patient died after bacterial outbreak

The Royal Papworth Hospital moved from the village of Papworth Everard to a new £165m home on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus in 2019

A hospital patient died from pancreatitis "probably caused by one of the antibiotics used" to treat an infection during a bacterial outbreak.

A report into the outbreak at the Royal Papworth Hospital in Cambridge in May 2019 found 21 patients with lung conditions were infected.

It said contamination of the hospital's water supply was the most likely cause.

A hospital spokesman said filters had been fitted to taps and showers to protect against future transmission.

The serious incident report said the patients had been infected with mycobacterium abscessus in the months after the specialist heart and lung hospital opened.

Sixteen patients with cystic fibrosis or bronchiectasis were affected, while five had undergone lung transplants.

Three of the five developed infections and the report said one of those people "developed acute pancreatitis and died.

"The pancreatitis was probably caused by one of the antibiotics used."

Keith Hurworth, pictured with his daughter Libby and son Liam, contracted mycobacterium abscessus while at Royal Papworth Hospital

Another patient, Keith Hurworth, 46, from Nottingham has instructed law firm Irwin Mitchell to investigate if more could have been done to prevent him contracting the bacteria.

Mr Hurworth underwent a life-saving double lung transplant at the hospital in February - six months after the first two infections were identified.

He said he had been "overjoyed" when a donor was found, but contracting the bacteria had been "devastating".

"I feel like I'm back to square one," he said.

A hospital spokesman said although mycobacterium abscessus was "not usually harmful, it can cause lung infections for some people with underlying respiratory conditions".

The spokesman said it was "a relatively new disease" and further research was being conducted.

He said "a proportion" of those who have tested positive for the bacteria "have a common source of infection, meaning our water supply could have been a credible source".

The hospital said water there was now regularly tested and patients susceptible to the infection have been identified.