A HOSPITAL worker has died after catching a deadly infection in what has been described as a "catastrophic" incident. The staff member's death, which happened within the last year, is being investigated by Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH) after a major mix-up. The trust, which runs the Queen's Medical Centre and City Hospital in Nottingham, said it could not determine whether the employee contracted chickenpox at the workplace but said the staff member worked in a "higher risk location".
NUH admitted that while they initially believed the staff member to be immunised against the viral infection, their records were in fact incorrect. Chickenpox is a mild disease but can be fatal in very rare cases, particularly in people who are immunocompromised, pregnant, or babies. NUH described it as a "tragic event" and said it had put together an improvement plan to address "gaps in the system".
Read More in Health News The incident was included in the trust's 2023/24 health and safety annual report, which was put before the board on September 12. It was categorised as a "catastrophic" incident under its reporting systems. "The catastrophic incident related to the death of a staff member who contracted Varicella (chickenpox)," the report says.
"Whilst it has not been possible to determine a definite causal link to work or through community acquisition; the member of staff’s immunisation record showed the person had immunisation, which was incorrect. Most read in Health "As the mem.