Member's statement: Pseudomonas Aeruginosa
Member's statement by Mr Daniel McCrossan on .
- MLA
- Mr Daniel McCrossan
- Party at the time
- Social Democratic and Labour Party
- Date
- 21 January 2025
- Type
- Member's statement
- Business
- Members' Statements
- Heading
- Pseudomonas Aeruginosa
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 4749533
Read the official Assembly record
Text
I rise to raise the issue of pseudomonas aeruginosa in our hospitals. Within the past two years, 58 people in Northern Ireland have died from that very serious infection, and 54 of those 58 people died in a hospital setting. It is the same type of bacteria that was found in the new Belfast maternity hospital last March, which delayed its opening, and it is something of grave concern, particularly within the hospital environment, that adds significant risks to those with weakened immune systems and more vulnerable people in our hospital settings.
I asked the Minister of Health for the most recent figures on people who have been affected. He has provided me with some clarity on those figures, but I fear that the number is actually much higher. In fact, just a few weeks before I, sadly, lost my mother in August, it was revealed that she too had contracted that bacterial infection. She was subjected to two long weeks of IV treatment three times a day: she had to travel to Derry three times a day in those two weeks. It was during that time that I saw the worst effects of that bacterial infection, because, with her weakened immune system, she struggled to fight off the infection. The infection has affected many people across Northern Ireland, and the more questions that I ask and answers that I receive, the more questions that I have. I know that Mrs Dodds, a colleague from the DUP, has also raised questions about the matter and the presence of the bacteria in the hospital setting. Indeed, the Public Health Agency (PHA) said that the bacteria is highly likely to be found in healthcare settings. We cannot afford to overlook that. Our trusts, even with the severe pressure that they are under, need to ensure that hygiene and cleanliness are maintained at the highest possible standards in order to protect and ensure the safety of the vulnerable people who are being treated in healthcare settings. I have further questions for the Health Minister and will seek clarification about hospital sites in Northern Ireland. I fear that we have not got our heads around the issue yet, and many people, unfortunately, have died as a result of contracting the infection in an environment in which they should have been safe.
387 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Assessment
Jev’s structured answers met the documented threshold for “not flagged”.
- Overall probability that the activity is being used to promote, exploit or escalate an identity-based controversy: 0.03 (flagging needs at least 0.70; at or below 0.30 is not flagged).
- None of the five culture-war criteria was met (each was below 0.60).
- Assessed as legitimate policy scrutiny (0.94).
- No identity-based framing was identified (1.00).
- The overall probability was at or below the not-flagging threshold.
This is an AI-generated assessment of the text, made against published criteria. It is not a finding of fact about the MLA or their intentions. The Assembly record itself is the fact.
Jev’s structured answers
| Question | Probability | Met? |
|---|---|---|
| Identity framing | 0.02 | No |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.02 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.01 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.02 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.02 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.94 | Yes |
| Overall judgement | 0.03 | At or below not-flagging threshold |
| Option | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-based framing (chosen) | 1.00 |
| Reports or questions it | 0.00 |
| Criticises or condemns it | 0.00 |
| Adopts it | 0.00 |
| Subject | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-related subject | 0.91 |
| Disability (including neurodivergence and mental health), disabled people and disability or sickness benefits | 0.07 |
| Sexism, misogyny, ageism and other equality groups | 0.02 |
| Flags, emblems, symbols, names and memorials | 0.00 |
| Parades, bonfires and commemorations | 0.00 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 11:47 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
Disagree with this assessment?
Classifications can be challenged. A person reads every challenge, and any change is recorded publicly above with its reason.