Edwin Poots launches independent investigation into outbreak of pseudomonas infection that killed three babies
Health authorities in Northern Ireland failed to respond rapidly to the outbreak of a lethal bug that claimed the lives of three babies, the province's health minister has said.
Launching an independent investigation into the pseudomonas infection, the Democratic Unionist minister Edwin Poots criticised the role of the health trusts in the crisis at neonatal wards at the Royal Jubilee maternity hospital in Belfast and Derry's Altnagelvin hospital.
"To be honest, I'm not convinced that the trusts responded quickly enough – that's why I'm going down this route," Poots told fellow members of the Stormont assembly on Tuesday.
The independent inquiry is likely to be made up of four experts with a highly regarded microbiologist from England to lead the team.
Health bosses revealed at the weekend that the bug was also found at the neonatal intensive care unit at the Ulster hospital in Dundonald, but no babies there tested positive for the bacteria.