Two Manchester Royal Infirmary (MRI) patients died from listeria outbreak after being served chicken mayonnaise sandwiches in hospital. The two women have been pictured for the first time since their deaths in 2019.
Mother-of-four Beverley Sowah, 57, and mother-of-five Enid Heap, 84, both died from blood poisoning caused by listeria, it has now been confirmed. The joint inquests into the deaths of the two women began at Manchester Coroners’ Court today (March 11).
Both cases of listeriosis, caused by the bacteria listeria, are being linked to chicken mayonnaise sandwiches which were given to the women while they were admitted to wards at the MRI. In the days following their deaths, the listeria cases were found to be caused by the same type of bacterium, Listeria monocytogenes – which ‘indicated a common food source’, heard the court.
The source of the bacteria was linked to an external food supplier, not the kitchens at the hospital, the court was also told. A national investigation was then launched by public health officials ‘due to other cases that were identified across the country’, not just at the MRI.
READ MORE: ‘Journey’ of the hospital sandwich linked to two women’s deaths to be examined
Jamaica-born retired nurse Ms Sowah, from Old Trafford, died on April 26, 2019 at MRI. She had been admitted to the hospital 11 days earlier as she was experiencing the final stages of advanced breast cancer.
Enid Heap, 84, a retired chemist from Beswick, died on May 6, 2019, at the same hospital. She had been admitted in March 2019 with breathing difficulties.
Manchester area coroner Zak Golombek opened the hearing by saying: “These cases concern the deaths of two individuals for whom there is a reason to suspect they died from a notifiable disease, namely listeria.”
On March 27, 2019, Ms Heap was transferred onto the AM2 area of the MRI’s acute medical unit. “On April 18, Enid was served a chicken mayonnaise sandwich. Listeria monocytogenes were identified on May 3,” said the coroner.
“Enid subsequently died at the hospital on May 6.”
Mr Golombeck said the ‘primary hypothesis’ was the source of the listeria infection was the chicken sandwiches consumed by both women. The hearing was told the Manchester listeria outbreak had the same genetic link to another outbreak in Liverpool.
On April 17, 2019, Ms Sowah was transferred onto the AM1 area of the MRI’s acute medical unit. “Later on this day, she was served a chicken mayonnaise sandwich for her food,” continued the coroner.
“In terms of the listeria, Listeria monocytogenes were identified by blood culture on April 26, 2019, sadly Beverley died later that day.”
There was no evidence of ‘sub-optimal’ care for Ms Sowah apart from the ‘hospital-acquired’ listeria infection.
Ms Heap’s cause of death was heard to be septicaemia caused by listeria. Secondary causes were pneumonia, which she had contracted in hospital, and pulmonary fibrosis which she had been living with for many years and contributed to the breathlessness that brought her to the MRI.
The court then heard that Ms Sowah’s death was caused by sepsis caused by Listeria monocytogenes. A secondary cause was metastatic breast cancer.
Listeriosis is usually caused by eating food contaminated with listeria bacteria. Listeria can contaminate a wide range of foods, but most infections are caused by eating chilled, ready-to-eat foods, such as pre-prepared sandwiches and salads, and cold, cooked sliced meats and cured meats.
Listeriosis is not usually serious for most people, the NHS says. But some people have a higher risk of serious problems, including people with a condition that weakens their immune system, such as cancer, diabetes, liver disease or kidney disease, and people having treatment that weakens their immune system, such as chemotherapy or steroid tablets.
Older people are also at higher risk of getting seriously ill and dying from listeriosis, and this risk increases with age.
Ms Sowah was suffering with the final stages of breast cancer and had been placed on a high dose of steroids once she had been admitted to the MRI on April 15. The elderly Ms Heap was immunocompromised and on long-term medication, the court was told.
The first session in the five-day inquest in front of a jury then focused on the production, supply and storage of sandwiches to the hospital. The court heard from witnesses from North Country Quality Foods, a Salford-based company which was responsible for cooking, dicing and packaging the chicken supplied by slaughterhouses, before sending the meat to its clients.
The court also heard from a manager at Good Food Chain, which received the chicken from North Country Quality Foods and assembled it into sandwiches, before sending the sandwiches on to its own customers. The Good Food Chain, based in Stone, Staffordshire, made up to 40,000 sandwiches a day, supplying around 70 hospitals around the country.
Good Food Chain made the sandwiches for their ‘Whole Lotta Good’ range and supplied hospitals via a contract with Sodexo. Both the meat supplier and sandwich maker firms have since gone into liquidation.
Public Health England revealed in June 2019 that a total of nine confirmed cases of listeriosis associated with an outbreak had been identified in England, with seven of those cases sadly going on to prove fatal.
In a previous pre-inquest review hearing in January 2024, Coroner Zak Golombeck said that in May 2019, Ms Sowah inquest’s was heard and concluded. But it emerged that four days earlier, Public Health England had told the MRI it had matched samples of listeria taken from Mrs Sowah to those taken from Ms Heap.
A narrative conclusion was reached, that Ms Sowah died ‘from recognised side effects of treatment for metastatic breast cancer’. A senior coroner then applied to the High Court for a fresh inquest to be held into her death.
In the January hearing, coroner Zak Golombek said the deaths of Ms Sowah and Ms Heap may relate to the same incident – namely of sandwiches being suppli]ed to the MRI. The inquests were then joined together to be heard at the same time.
The inquest continues tomorrow.
Sarah Carter is a health and wellness expert residing in the UK. With a background in healthcare, she offers evidence-based advice on fitness, nutrition, and mental well-being, promoting healthier living for readers.