WATER SYSTEM HYGIENE AND SAFETY
Greg Rankin and Hydrosense
Legionella bacteria. Hydrosense says: “The good news is that the integration of rapid Legionella technology can help healthcare facilities ensure absolute best practice and raise standards in Legionella control.”
saw Legionella samples tested using both the traditional lab-culture testing and the Hydrosense PRO rapid testing kit, revealed that our rapid test solution was 100% accurate in identifying both L. pneumophila serogroup 1 and serogroups 2-15 from blind samples, and gave comparable results to the traditional lab culture testing method, but in a much quicker time.
Enabling a rapid response Detecting Legionella pneumophila so quickly empowers healthcare establishments to react promptly to contamination and take appropriate action, thereby significantly minimising the risk of exposure and human infection. Not only does using this method for routine testing help reduce risk, and minimise potential exposure for hospital patients and other healthcare facility users, but it also offers additional information during the required reviews of the risk assessment. In particularly high-risk environments, such as an intensive care unit or a surgical ward, the reality is that this advanced ability to rapidly detect Legionella could help to save lives. Technology always moves faster than the law, and it
is thus easy to see why – despite such significant growth in Legionella risk, the UK’s Legionella regulations and guidelines – such as The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002, and HSE’s ACoP L8 – have remained largely unchanged, and continue to overlook the opportunity to advocate, if not mandate, the additional use of rapid testing technology. Added to this, of course, with the introduction of a new government tasked with tackling huge economic challenges and significant building regulation reforms, it’s unlikely that we will see the introduction of new legislation that specifically addresses the issue of rising Legionella risk any time soon. For the time being then, the onus remains very much
on high-risk environments – and especially healthcare establishments – to look beyond compliance and ensure that they go the extra mile to optimise safety for the people in their care. In most cases, it will always be those early adopters of any emerging trend that gain a marked advantage, and those healthcare providers who act now will be recognised for leading the trajectory toward a much more robust and thorough approach to combating Legionella in the long term. Beyond regulatory compliance, Legionella control in
healthcare is, of course, a moral imperative. Hospitals and other healthcare providers play a critical role in supporting some of society’s most vulnerable individuals, who have placed their trust in taking care of them. These providers thus have a moral duty to go above and beyond to provide a nurturing and safe environment. Failure to do so, and the potential consequences, include serious reputational ramifications, leading to loss of trust from families, employees, and the wider community, and regulatory scrutiny. Amid a growing Legionella risk, taking the opportunity to strengthen control measures demonstrates a commitment to protecting that trust and prioritising patient welfare. Moreover, in the unfortunate event of a Legionella outbreak, it is important to note the profound impact that it can have on staff – not just in terms of physical stress, but also the emotional toil. At a time when many healthcare settings are facing staffing shortages, an outbreak can overwhelm team members tasked with complex disinfection procedures, medical interventions, and additional support. Elevating the approach to Legionella detection can help to prevent this, contributing to a deeper culture of safety and care.
Safer waters Looking ahead, those who embrace this shift, at pace and to scale, will play a role in elevating healthcare standards, maintaining a solid reputation, supporting operational efficiency, and safeguarding reputation, all the while helping to render the healthcare experience a safer one for what can already prove an incredibly difficult time in anyone’s life.
References 1 Barlow P. Legionella bug delays £41 m health centre opening. BBC News, South East. 21 February 2025.
https://www.bbc.
co.uk/news/articles/cr5249pnvl8o
2 Stout J, Yu V. Hospital-acquired Legionnaires’ disease: new developments. Curr Opin Infect Dis 2003; 16(4):337-41.
3 What Types of Facilities Have Legionnaires’ Disease Outbreaks? Legionella Control Systems, Indianapolis. https://tinyurl. com/49cscd64
4 Lettinga KD, Verbon A, Nieuwkerk PT, Jonkers RE, Gersons BPR, Prins JM et al. Health-related quality of life and posttraumatic stress disorder among survivors of an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease. Clin Infect Dis 2002; Jul 1;35(1):11-7.
Greg Rankin, CEO at Hydrosense, is a seasoned technology product veteran with a deep passion for protecting public health from Legionella bacteria. Since joining Hydrosense as CEO in 2017, he has led its rapid growth, tripling revenue, and spearheading innovation in Legionella rapid testing solutions. Under his leadership, Hydrosense claims to have ‘revolutionised water safety’ – by providing the world’s fastest on-site test for Legionella bacteria. With decades
of technology, marketing, and business development experience, he has held key roles at companies including Oracle, Ingenico, and Metaforic, and at a number of start-ups. Hydrosense says it is ‘on a mission to make Legionella detection easier, faster, and more effective’ with its rapid Legionella testing solutions. Its Hydrosense PRO range, for example, can detect the presence of Legionella pneumophila serogroups 1-15. It said: “Easy to use, accurate, and with results delivered in just 25 minutes, this means early detection of problems, speedy remedial action, and a reduction in potential exposure and the associated risks.”
September 2025 Health Estate Journal 75
Vecteezy.com / Ahasanara Akter
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