Families launch petition for inquiry into superbug deaths

Published on Monday 1 December 2008 23:20

THE families of hospital patients who died during a Clostridium difficile outbreak yesterday stepped up their calls for a public inquiry.

They launched a petition at the Scottish Parliament and claimed that the infection in hospitals was "out of control".

C diff was linked to 18 deaths at the Vale of Leven Hospital in Alexandria, West Dunbartonshire.

Michelle Stewart, whose mother-in-law, Sarah McGinty, was one of the victims, was joined by David Chandler – whose father-in-law Alister Johnston, 66, died.

The families say they have met with widespread public support in their calls for action.

Ms Stewart said: "People stopping us in the street and saying they are terrified of going into hospital – this is happening, that's happening, the fear."

The NHS in Scotland has failed to get on top of handling C Diff, with no set guidelines in place, according to Ms Stewart.

"We've always said that we don't blame individuals for what happened at the Vale of Leven – we blame the fact that the system has failed.

"But those systems are the same systems that are in place across Scotland.

"If they can fail at the Vale of Leven, they can fail anywhere."

Mr Chandler accepted that C diff is unlikely to be eradicated from hospitals.

"What we want to do is to stop spreading it," he said. "It's just out of control. When somebody catches this, there's no reason why the person in the next bed or next ward (should] catch it."

Nicola Sturgeon, the health secretary, said yesterday: "I have never ruled out a public inquiry into the circumstances around the tragic deaths at the Vale of Leven Hospital.

"I have asked the law officers to investigate the points raised in the independent review and that the area procurator-fiscal and the police are allowed due process to assess if criminal investigations are appropriate."