12 babies with infection at closed Cardiff neonatal unit

Twelve babies have tested positive for bacterial infections which have closed a neonatal unit in Cardiff.

New admissions to the unit at University Hospital of Wales (UHW) stopped on Thursday because of a "cluster of infections".

Cardiff and Vale University Health Board said infected babies had been treated and their condition was improving.

Other babies who need neonatal care will be referred to other hospitals.

The health board said enhanced infection prevention control measures had been put in place to prevent the infections - Acinetobacter baumanii and Enterobacter - spreading.

Ruth Walker, director of nursing at the health board, said the hospital was looking to provide extra cot space elsewhere within its maternity services.

There are 15 babies at the unit, which has 30 cots for intensive care, high dependency and special care.

There are plans to expand the unit to 50 cots as part of proposals to centralise hospital services in south Wales, which would see more babies being treated at UHW.

A health board spokesman said it recognised "capacity is being stretched" and work to refurbish the unit was due to start within months.

Earlier on Friday, Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan Community Health Council (CHC) claimed "poor infection control measures" had led to the closure of the unit.

A CHC spokesman said it had expressed concerns about the space available in the unit following a visit in February.

Chief officer Stephen Allen said the "most pertinent" of these was the fact staff were changing in toilets and equipment was being stored in an isolation room.

Mr Allen called on the health board to urgently create a brand new facility, saying: "The unit is so cramped there's not enough space for barrier nursing if a patient becomes infected.

"For far too long we have had a poor facility which provides excellent care, we need to re-balance that."

Ms Walker told BBC Radio Wales that staff could change in toilets if they wanted to but it was "not necessarily something we would be promoting".

"There is nothing to suggest that there is a cross infection issue if staff change in a bathroom facility, but it's not the optimum approach. The key here is hand hygiene," she said.

Staff would change into disposable uniforms when dealing with infections, she added.