GLOUCESTERSHIRE Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has been fined more than £300,000 after a chemotherapy patient who showered in contaminated water later died.

59-year-old Dr Chris Elliot died in 2022 after being infected by contaminated water from a shower head whilst being treated at Cheltenham General Hospital.

The case against the trust was brought by health watchdog the Care Quality Commission (CQC), who prosecuted under Regulation 12 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008. The prosecution was against the Trust as an organisation, and not any individual member of staff.

Kevin McNamara, Chief Executive of the Trust said: “We are deeply sorry for the death of Dr Christopher Elliot, a patient under our care in 2022, and for the profound impact this has had on his family. This was a tragedy that should never have happened.

"We extend our sincere condolences to Dr Elliot's family - we are deeply sorry for their loss and for the precious time with him that they were denied at such an important moment.

“The Trust entered an early guilty plea and accepted full responsibility for the failings identified, which meant water test results were not shared by our contractor in a timely manner. This would have allowed swift action to be taken by the Trust to restrict access to the room where care was being provided.

“We cooperated fully with the Care Quality Commission throughout its investigation. We had already conducted our own detailed investigation following the incident and shared the findings with the family, regulators and partners.

"We remain committed to being open about what happened and to ensuring that the improvements we have put in place continue to keep our patients safe.”