The husband of a woman who bravely battled cancer only to die of a deadly bug after being left in a filthy hospital room has spoken of his heartbreak . Retired chief executive René Dee watched as his wife Eileen , 68 , slipped away just days after catching the infection and before the couple 's son had a chance to say goodbye . The 69-year-old said : 'It was such a shock , one minute everyone was telling her how well she was doing and the next moment I am watching her struggling to breathe . It happened so quickly . ' René Dee had to watch as his wife Eileen , 68 , died just days after catching a lethal infection . She had been battling cancer when she caught the bug while undergoing treatment at the Royal Sussex County Hospital . Eileen had received a positive prognosis while being treated for her cancer but died because of an infection at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton . Several hospital rooms , including Eileen 's , were found to have traces of the drug-resistant bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa in water running from the tap and in the shower drain . Raw sewage was also discovered coming up from the shower drain in the room next door to Eileen . Doctors , concerned for her health , transferred Eileen to another hospital while an exploration of drains and an intensive clean of all side rooms , including the one the retired NHS information manager was in , was carried out . The infection was specifically detected in Eileen 's room but there were no notes accompanying her transfer to say that she had been exposed to the potentially lethal infection . She died five days later . The Royal Sussex had put new measures in place after an outbreak of the same infection in 2010 , it has also emerged . These included a thorough review of cleaning rounds . But it was revealed following an internal Serious Incident Investigation that only about a third of hospital housekeepers were cleaning to the required standard when Eileen died . Initially , Eileen , who was diagnosed with acute myloid leukaemia , had been intent on just receiving palliative care because she had watched her mother die of cancer . But when she was told she would respond well to chemotherapy and had a good prospect of survival , she changed her mind . Mr Dee said : 'She was very scared and very worried about going through the process of what her mother went through , which was a very long , drawn-out process and very unpleasant . Legal action : Mr Dee is now suing the Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals Trust for clinical negligence . ‘ They were just about to introduce her to another lady , of a similar age , who had been through the same condition and had successfully come out the other side . ‘ That was just about to happen and then suddenly she was gone. ’ He added : ‘ Eileen has missed out on the prospect of being a grandmother , which is something she would have loved . ‘ One of the most difficult decisions I have had to make was when to get my son , Matthew , home from overseas . But by the time I was very , very sure he should , and phoned him to say `` get over here now '' , it was too late. ’ Healthy people are rarely affected by Pseudomonas aeruginosa , which is a common bacteria , but it has become a major cause of healthcare-related infections , especially for those with compromised immune systems like Eileen ’ s . The 68-year-old died in August 2013 . Her cause of death was recorded as pneumonia but the Royal Sussex ’ s report says the coroner should have been made aware of the infection . Mr Dee is now suing the Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals Trust for clinical negligence . Melanie Minter , of Sussex law firm Mayo Wynne Baxter , said : “ We say there were serious errors and gross negligence in respect of cleaning the haematology oncology unit. ” . Last month , the Trust pleaded guilty to a criminal charge of putting patients at risk over a period of more than six years in relation to a separate outbreak of legionella . A spokesman said the Trust could not comment on Eileen ’ s case while legal proceedings were ongoing .
sue Dee was being treated for cancer when she contracted the lethal bug . Her husband René has spoken of watching her die just five days later . Several hospital beds , including Eileen 's , appear to have traces of bacteria . Mr Dee is now suing the hospital staff in Brighton for clinical negligence .