Public inquiry to be held into 18 deaths at superbug hospital

Published on Wednesday 22 April 2009 21:58

A PUBLIC inquiry will be held into a deadly superbug outbreak at a Scottish hospital, health secretary Nicola Sturgeon announced yesterday.

The Scottish Government has been under intense pressure to launch an inquiry into the deaths of 18 patients linked to Clostridium difficile at the Vale of Leven Hospital last year.

Yesterday, Ms Sturgeon responded to the demands of patients' families and opposition parties to allow an investigation to go ahead.

The Crown Office has still to decide whether anyone should face charges over the outbreak, which infected 55 people, but is expected to finish its own inquiries this summer.

Ms Sturgeon said the inquiry would begin its major work when the current investigations, and any prosecutions arising from them, were finished.

The public inquiry – to be chaired by Lord Coulsfield – was welcomed yesterday, although there was criticism over the timing of the announcement.

Ms Sturgeon told the Scottish Parliament: "It is vital that lessons are learned from the tragedy at the Vale of Leven. That is why I have never ruled out the possibility of a public inquiry.

"Swift action has been taken to remedy problems at the Vale of Leven but a public inquiry will provide further reassurance to the families of those involved, as well as the wider public.

"Given the substantial progress that has been made in the police and Health and Safety Executive investigations, and the fact that a Crown Office decision on any possible prosecutions arising from them is expected by end of June, I believe that now is the right time to announce an inquiry."

C Diff Justice Group chairman David Logan, whose mother-in-law died in the outbreak, said the inquiry vindicated the work of campaigners.

"We are very pleased that this has finally been announced. We will want to make sure that the terms of reference for the inquiry cover all the necessary areas we think need to be examined," he said.

Labour accused Ms Sturgeon of making her announcement and "admitting she was wrong" on the day of the Budget to lessen the political impact.

But Labour Dumbarton MSP Jackie Baillie said: "I don't want to be churlish. This is a great day for the Vale of Leven families."

BACKGROUND

CLOSTRIDIUM difficile mainly affects the elderly.

In the first year of surveillance of the infection, about 6,000 cases were reported in Scotland among over-65s – rising to 6,631 last year.

Monitoring is now being rolled out to cover people under 65. There is particular concern about virulent strains of C diff, such as the 027 strain.