Published: Thursday, 21st August, 2008 9:00am

MSP calls for probe into superbug alert

by Dolores Aughy

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A WEST FIFE MSP has called for a public inquiry after seven patients at the Queen Margaret Hospital were struck down by potentially fatal superbug Clostridium difficile.

Ward six – a general medical ward – at the Dunfermline hospital was closed to new admissions on Friday after seven patients developed diarrhoea and later tested positive for C. diff.

Samples have been taken to discover if the patients are infected by the virulent 027 strain of C. diff. The results will not be known for at least a fortnight.

The MSP for Dunfermline East, Helen Eadie, has called for a full public inquiry on the matter.

She said, 'This new outbreak in Dunfermline underlines the need for a full public inquiry on C. difficile so that lessons can be learned from the recent tragedy at the Vale of Leven, where 18 people died.

'Families have an absolute right to know that when their loved ones go into hospital they will be cared for in clean and safe conditions.

'Sadly, Nicola Sturgeon (the health secretary) has been consistently complacent about C. diff.'

Concerns have been mounting over levels of hygiene at the hospital in recent months with the Press reporting in July on the public"s fears regarding nurses travelling to work at the hospital on buses in their uniforms.

This sparked concerns that patients were being put at risk of infection.

In February, the Press also reported that the number of mortalities in Fife hospitals where C. diff was mentioned on the death certificate had rocketed from 23 in 2005 to 41 in 2006.

And a national survey, carried out by Health Protection Scotland between October 2005 and October 2006 – the results of which were published last July – showed that just under 10 per cent of inpatients at the Queen Margaret had a hospital acquired infection (HAI) like C. diff or MRSA.

However, Ms Sturgeon said tackling HAIs was a priority for the Scottish Government.

She added, 'We are spending a record sum of £54 million over the next three years, and have one of the most comprehensive sets of policies and procedures to manage HAIs in Europe.

'Recent events at the Vale of Leven, however, show how vital it is for NHS boards to ensure that these policies and procedures are applied at local level to a high standard.

'I intend to raise the issue with every board during this summer"s annual reviews.

'I have asked the HAI task force, chaired by the chief nursing officer, to ensure that a robust and comprehensive action plan for infection control is implemented across Scotland. We need to address HAIs on all fronts.'

Meanwhile, John Winton, of West Fife pressure group Local Health Concern, urged NHS Fife not to 'skimp' on maintenance work at the Queen Margaret.

He said, 'The Vale of Leven got severely criticised because it was another hospital that was due to be downgraded and they weren"t spending money on maintenance.

'In the case of the Queen Margaret, a large proportion of the wards come 2012 will be redundant.

'I"m not suggesting that they"re skimping on anything just now but I"m putting a warning out – don"t try to skimp on maintenance.'

He continued, 'I have no doubt that they will get rid of the problem but when will it crop up again? It seems to be cropping up all the time; in other countries they manage to get it (HAIs) down to virtually nil so there are obviously some things we are not doing right.

'They need to keep on top of this as best they can. It spreads like wildfire. It can be rife in nursing homes too.'

The MSP for Dunfermline West, Jim Tolson, commented, 'I was shocked to hear that this infection has affected seven patients in Queen Margaret Hospital.

'I hope that the patients, families and staff continue to work towards treatment and hopefully a solution in the very near future to remove the spectre of this very concerning disease from Queen Margaret Hospital.

'I"m absolutely sure that the staff will be doing all they can to contain that and bring it towards a successful conclusion.'

Ferguson Taylor (70), of Pitcorthie, suffered four bouts of C. diff at the hospital between April and June last year which almost killed the pensioner.

He slammed the hygiene standards at the hospital and called for greater protection for patients from visitors.

Mr Taylor explained, 'The hospital doesn"t offer any method of visitors cleaning themselves. I would like to see all visitors from the moment they enter the hospital being made to wear paper shoe covers because they are coming in from a pretty mucky environment outside.

'People are walking across grass; bits of ground that have been used by dogs as a toilet area for God knows how long and then coming up to the hospital to visit loved ones.

'How on earth can a hospital keep itself clean when it can"t stop it at the front door? Staff too are allowed in with outside shoes. The kind of possible source of contamination spreads right throughout the hospital every hour of every day.'

Mr Taylor pointed out that the alcohol gel provided in the hospital for washing hands did not prevent C. diff from spreading, adding, 'It"s a hellish disease. It"s not enough just to clean your hands and clean your clothes. The dirty clothes must be sterilised completely because C. diff can exist as spores in clothes which makes it deadly.

'Unless the clothes are either burned or thoroughly boil washed to kill the spores you are not going to get rid of it very quickly. If your immune system is very low, as most patients do have, then they"re sitting ducks for it.'

Mr Taylor believes 'without a shadow of a doubt' there will be another outbreak of C. diff at the hospital in the future.

The infected patients are stable or improving and are being nursed in isolation. Enhanced infection control measures have been put in place.

NHS Fife advised family and friends not to visit ward six at this time unless necessary. Visitors should wash their hands on entering and leaving wards to help reduce the risk of infection.

All patients with diarrhoea in Fife hospitals are treated as infectious until proven otherwise, with isolation and application of nationally approved infection control precautions, such as the use of disposable protective aprons and other protective equipment.

If C. diff is identified a member of the infection control team works with the ward to ensure compliance with precautions to prevent the transmission of C. diff.