Lockerbie judge to head inquiry into deadly hospital bug

Published on Friday 21 August 2009 22:03

A NEW chairman has been appointed to head the inquiry into an outbreak of the hospital bug Clostridium difficile which was linked to the deaths of 18 patients.

Retired judge Lord MacLean will replace Lord Coulsfield, who stepped down for health reasons, it was announced.

Lord MacLean became an advocate in 1964, a QC in 1977 and a judge in 1990, and was one of the judges at the Lockerbie trial at Camp Zeist in the Netherlands.

He will now lead the investigation into the C difficile outbreak at the Vale of Leven hospital. Nine died and the bug was a contributory factor in nine other deaths.

No date has been set for the start of the inquiry, which was announced in April by health secretary Nicola Sturgeon.

The Scottish Government said the terms of reference for the inquiry would be set once Lord MacLean had been consulted.

Labour has been pushing for the scope of inquiry to be extended to outbreaks of C difficile at other hospitals.

Earlier this month it emerged that more than 750 deaths in Scotland last year were linked to the infection. Ms Sturgeon said she wanted the inquiry under way as quickly as possible.

"What happened at the Vale of Leven must be fully investigated," she said.

"It's vital that all possible lessons are learned to prevent it happening again."

Labour said the investigation should get under way quickly, with a remit covering the whole of Scotland.