Key Summary
- The hospital waited for two days to alert the UK Health Security Agency about a meningitis case.
- The patient arrived on Wednesday, but the hospital reportedly waited for two days for a formal diagnosis before notifying officials.
- Experts argue the delay hindered early contact tracing and prevented the public from receiving timely warnings.
The NHS waited two days before raising the alarm about a meningitis outbreak that later affected 22 people, the BBC reported.
Though the patient had arrived at the Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Hospital in Margate on Wednesday (11), the hospital authorities alerted UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) on Friday (13).
Under UK law, such cases must be reported immediately to health officials, but the hospital waited until a formal diagnosis was confirmed by test results.
Of the 22 suspected and probable cases, all of whom are young adults and teenagers, two people have died and four were in intensive care as of Monday.
Data from the UKHSA show that 10 patients developed symptoms during the window between the first admission and the public alert issued on Sunday evening.
Prof Paul Hunter, an expert in infectious disease at the University of East Anglia has criticized the conduct of the hospital and said this delay led to an increase in cases.
