A number of elderly people who died at a NSW nursing home may not have been affected by a gastro bug, Premier Morris Iemma says.
NSW Health announced on Friday an investigation was underway into the deaths of 10 elderly people at Endeavour Nursing Home in Springwood, in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney.
The deaths were believed to be linked to two gastroenteritis outbreaks in mid and late June which struck more than 80 residents of the nursing home.
Mr Iemma today said some of the deaths may have been unrelated to the outbreaks.
"At this stage, it appears that a number of the 10 deaths were related to causes separate from the gastro outbreaks," he told reporters in Sydney.
"Some of the residents who died were not affected by those outbreaks ... but this is a concern."
Health experts from the Food Authority were conducting audits at the home to determine the source of the outbreaks, he said.
Mr Iemma said he was only informed of the deaths on Friday and denied the government had tried to cover up the incident.
Comment was being sought from NSW Health.
