'Journey' of the hospital sandwich linked to two women's deaths to be examined

The 'journey' of a sandwich thought to be linked to the deaths of two women in hospital will be examined at their inquest.

A hearing into the deaths Beverley Sowah, 57, and mother-of-five Enid Heap, 84, at Manchester Royal Infirmary (MRI) will be held next month. Both deaths were linked to an outbreak of listeria, reported to be connected to pre-packed sandwiches handed out to patients.

Jamaica-born retired nurse Ms Sowah, from Stretford, Trafford, died on April 26, 2019 at MRI. She had been admitted to the hospital 11 days earlier and had breast cancer. Enid Heap, 84, a retired chemist from Beswick, died on May 6, 2019, at the same hospital. She had been admitted in the March with breathing difficulties.

The Manchester Evening News has previously reported how a coroner at Manchester Coroners’ Court ordered the hospital to provide ‘food diaries’ for both women to establish what they ate and when. In another brief pre-inquest review hearing, Manchester area coroner Zak Golombek said that reports informing the inquest will include details of the ‘journey of the sandwich’ thought to be connected with the deaths - tracking the food as it was transferred from suppliers and onto wards.

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The pre-inquest review was held at the court today (Wednesday). The court heard how information gathered for the full inquest would explore the ‘supply of sandwiches to the Manchester Royal Infirmary’, and ‘look at the process of food being received by the MRI’.

Reports prepared before the inquest will also follow the ‘journey of the sandwich’, the coroner said. Mr Golombek asked for more detail to be provided about the transfer of the food from Sodexo staff to hospital ward