Legionella and heated birthing pools filled in advance of labour in home settings
Public Health England (PHE) and NHS England have issued a patient safety alert (17 June) temporarily advising against the use in the home of birthing pools with built-in heaters and recirculation pumps, potentially filled up to two weeks in advance of the birth.
This follows a single case of Legionnaires’ disease identified in a baby born in this specific type of birthing pool at home. The baby is currently receiving intensive care treatment in hospital.
Patient safety alerts are shared rapidly with healthcare providers via the Central Alerting System (CAS).