Royal Perth Hospital: Legionella bacteria found at unsafe levels hundreds of times in contaminated water

Critically ill patients and staff at Royal Perth Hospital have been put at risk of contracting deadly legionnaires’ disease with water-testing results exposing a rampant problem at the health facility which has been kept secret for years. The East Metropolitan Health Service has found legionella bacteria, which causes the serious pneumonia-like respiratory infection, at unsafe levels more than 230 times since January 2022. There are almost six high readings, on average, every month, according to internal water quality testing results obtained by The West Australian. The highest result of 5200 colony-forming units (CFU/ml) — which is 520 times the acceptable level — was found in July 2023 in a shower located along a patient ward. Five months prior, a reading of 4600 CFU/ml was detected on a clinical hand-washing basin in the intensive care unit. Department of Health guidelines require immediate remediation where a legionella detection of 10 CFU/ml or higher is returned. Dangerous levels of the bacteria have been found more than 40 times in ICU, as well as in the emergency department, oncology patient consult rooms, and the respiratory medicine block. There have been 21 high readings from drinking fountains, including four in the first six months of this year. The situation at RPH appears to be far worse than that exposed at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital last month, when The West published water-testing results which showed legionella bacteria had been found at unacceptable levels almost 60 times in two years. Health Infrastructure Minister John Carey initially dismissed the results at SCGH as “an occurrence that happens all the time” and didn’t believe it was unusual. “The advice from the Health Department is there’s not been a regular trend, and so we have to have the testing regime in place,” he said “I mean, the point is, are patients at risk? No. Are we doing a regular testing regime? Yes.” An expert microbiologist was quick to set the record straight, confirming the results were “pretty high” and they should be cause for concern. Mr Carey walked back his comments and conceded further funding was needed to fix the State’s deteriorating hospitals, which was met days later with a $50 million commitment towards maintenance works at three hospitals including RPH and Armadale. The Health Infrastructure Minister was asked whether he was aware of the rampant legionella issues at RPH when the extra funding was announced last month, and whether he was concerned about the hundreds of high results that have been detected. In a statement, Mr Carey said RPH was included in the maintenance fund because it is among three of the oldest hospital sites in Perth. “It is not uncommon for naturally occurring pathogens such as legionella bacteria to be found,” he said. “That is why there are strict requirements that industry and Government operators must adhere to under regulations. This includes the requirement for all hospitals to have a water quality management plan. “The Department of Health has advised that the water at our hospitals is safe and there is rigorous testing and remediation protocols in place.” The Minister’s office also supplied it’s own statement from acting Chief Health Officer, Dr Paul Armstrong reaffirming the water-testing regime at RPH. “If legionella is detected at a location within a hospital, it is best practice to isolate the asset and begin remediation immediately, and that is the approach WA Health takes,” Dr Armstrong said. “A possible hospital-acquired case of legionella was notified to the Department of Health in December 2021, which may have been acquired at RPH.” Dr Armstrong said the hospital’s own investigations hadn’t determined any legionella cases at the hospital since 2021 which had been acquired at the facility. The health headaches are persisting for the Cook Government which for months has been on the defence as ambulance ramping across the State has soared to historic highs and the true state of the hospital system laid bare by internal documents and frustrated whistle blowers. Earlier this month, the Premier defended his Government’s secrecy over water issues at Perth Children’s Hospital in which 11 testing samples taken between the start of 2023 and the end of March last year returned traces of lead at levels higher than the safety benchmark set by the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines. “These issues have got life in the media today in 2025 but there’s been no exceedance of any lead levels at PCH since April 2024, so this is well and truly in the rear view mirror,” Roger Cook said in response to community concern. “In this case, there was no risk to patients. There was no risk to staff. So it wasn’t appropriate to necessarily make a public declaration. It was appropriate for them to continue to undertake vigorous, ongoing testing and reporting.” The Australian Medical Association and Australian Nursing Federation both disagreed with the Premier’s view and called for greater transparency over water contamination issues which put patients and staff at risk. At the time the Premier made his remarks, there had in fact been multiple results of elevated lead levels including this year, with the Health Minister Meredith Hammat blaming bureaucrats for not telling her about the contamination. Shadow Health Minister Libby Mettam said the Legionella issues at RPH were further proof that the health system had been neglected by the Government. “We have learned of hundreds of leaks and growing black mould at Charlies, elevated levels of lead in the water at Perth Children’s Hospital and now dangerously high levels of legionella bacteria at Royal Perth Hospital — the Health Infrastructure Minister has been dragged kicking and screaming to even acknowledge these critically important health issues,” she said. “It’s now time he was transparent with the people of Western Australia about the true state of our hospitals. We need these issues fixed now. The health of West Australians is the most urgent and important issue facing the Cook Government.”