THE death of a man who contracted legionnaires' disease while in hospital has led Morecambe Bay Hospitals NHS Trust to take action.

At an inquest into the death of Geoffrey Charles Curtis, who died in December, a hospital consultant said new procedures had been introduced to avoid further outbreaks of the disease - a form of bacterial pneumonia.

Consultant microbiologist at Royal Lancaster Infirmary, Dr Kirsty Burch, said showers, shower heads and header tanks would be regularly cleaned following recommendations from the Health and Safety Executive.

She said the measures were being taken at hospitals throughout the trust, including Royal Lancaster Infirmary, and the situation was being monitored.

The inquest was told Mr Curtis, 76, of Morecambe, contracted legionella pneumonia at RLI after being admitted with a chest and urinary tract infection in September.

Dr Burch said an investigation revealed low levels of the bacteria which cause the disease on showers on Ward one, where Mr Curtis had been.

She said the shower room had been shut immediately and decontaminated, and there had been no further cases throughout the trust.

Mr Curtis' widow Audrey told the inquest she had expected her husband to be discharged by mid-October, adding: "He should have been sent home at an earlier period and if he had been, he may not have contracted it."

Consultant pathologist, Dr James Morris, told the inquest Mr Curtis died in December from legionella pneumonia and fibrosing alveolitis - a rare disease of the lung, which had been developing in his body at the time.

North Lancashire coroner George Howson, who recorded a verdict of misadventure, said he was "concerned", adding: "Clearly when a person goes into hospital for whatever reason it is not expected he would catch another disorder while in hospital. But it seems remedial action has been taken and is still in place."