Hospital at centre of Legionella scare

The hospital was criticised in a government report

A Midlands hospital is on alert after Legionella bacteria were discovered in its hot water system.

One patient at the Walsgrave Hospital in Coventry, who was found to have the bug, has died.

A complete sterilisation procedure of the hospital's hot water system has been carried out after the bacteria were detected in two samples of water.

On Wednesday evening the hospital, which was criticised in a damning report earlier this week, confirmed that a man who died there did have Legionella.

Growing pressure

But it said it did not known if Legionella was the cause of death.

The news comes as pressure grows on the hospital trust's chief executive, David Loughton, to resign.

Six Labour MPs have called for his departure.

Trust chief executive David Loughton refuses to resign

They say Mr Loughton's position is untenable after a government report condemned patient care at three of the trust's hospitals.

The independent review of the Coventry and Rugby hospitals criticised the hospital for poor relationships between consultants and managers, split site working and unusually high death rates.

Geoffrey Robinson, Labour MP for Coventry North-West, told BBC Midlands Today: "The report criticises the management and the atmosphere they created there, which I don't believe is good for the hospital."

Labour MP for Warwick and Leamington, James Plaskitt, added: "One person carried the ultimate responsibility and that's what chief executives are for.

"That's what they get paid for, to take responsibility."

'Staff support'

But Mr Loughton remained adamant on Wednesday evening that he was not leaving.

He said: "I am not going to go because I have the support of staff within the trust.

"Industrial relations within the trust were described by 14 trade unions as second to none."

A hospital spokesman said it was not unusual for Legionella bugs to be present in a hot water system and said that further tests were being conducted by microbiologists.