SNP accused of covering up C diff deaths

Published on Wednesday 11 November 2009 20:45

THE Scottish Government was accused last night of a "cover-up" over a hospital bug outbreak in which five patients died.

However, the government said patients and their families were kept "fully informed" at all times. The Clostridium difficile infection killed two patients and contributed to the deaths of three others in a ward at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee.

The outbreak was declared on 19 October, and the Scottish Government was informed two days later.

Jackie Baillie, Labour's health spokeswoman, said that families should have been told earlier about the outbreak.

"Patients and their families have an absolute right to know if there is an outbreak at their local hospital," she said. "Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon has known about this outbreak for some three weeks now, but chose not to inform the public.

"There is no possible justification for this lack of transparency," added Ms Baillie.

A total of eight elderly people in ward 31 at Ninewells had the infection. The five patients died between 19 October and 6 November, but an earlier case in September was later reclassified as part of the outbreak, meaning it spanned ten weeks.

Ms Baillie said: "Deaths from Clostridium difficile are preventable and these patients may not have contracted the infection if lessons had been properly learned from earlier outbreaks. Now it seems complacency has been compounded by cover-up."

Ms Sturgeon will make a statement on the outbreak in the Scottish Parliament today. However, a government spokeswoman last night dismissed Ms Baillie's comments, saying: "These claims are ill-informed."

She added: "At all times, NHS Tayside kept patients and their relatives fully informed. Initial action was, rightly, focused on dealing with the outbreak.

"In this case, the fatalities all took place between 21 October and 6 November, and there have been no new cases since 30 October."

All C diff cases are recorded in the bimonthly HAI (healthcare-associated infection) reporting system and are publicised at health board meetings and on the Scottish Government website, according to the spokeswoman.

"In this case, in the spirit of openness and transparency, NHS Tayside has proactively made the information available sooner," she said.