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.
Eileen Dee was being treated for cancer when she caught the lethal bug.
Her husband René has spoken of watching her die just five days later.
Several hospital rooms, including Eileen's, found to have traces of bacteria.
Mr Dee is now suing the hospital trust in Brighton for clinical negligence.