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Hospital Staff Exposed to Toxic "Gas and Air"
18 May
Summary
- Over 100 maternity staff suing over hazardous nitrous oxide exposure.
- Staff reported fatigue, anxiety, headaches, and brain fog.
- Trust paid £89,000 in settlements and apologized for delays.
Over 100 maternity staff, including midwives and healthcare assistants at Basildon Hospital, have initiated legal proceedings against the Mid and South Essex NHS Trust. They claim exposure to "hazardous" levels of nitrous oxide, commonly known as "gas and air," between 2018 and 2023. Symptoms reported by affected staff include chronic fatigue, anxiety, headaches, and cognitive difficulties.
The trust has acknowledged the issues, having already paid £89,000 in settlements for claims involving "excessive and foreseeably dangerous" levels of Entonox. Internal reports indicated that gas levels sometimes exceeded the legal workplace exposure limit by up to 30 times. Staff expressed feeling "poisoned" by the exposure.
An internal hospital report revealed that staff were not informed for 16 months about test results confirming the breach of safety limits. The trust has since admitted to "unacceptable delays" in mitigating the serious risk and has stated that lessons have been learned. Equipment to remove nitrous oxide from the air has reportedly been installed to improve air quality within the maternity units.
