Superbug killed 18 in Gartnavel Hospital last year

Published on Wednesday 29 July 2009 14:39

HEALTH Secretary Nicola Sturgeon was today urged to act after it emerged that 18 people died in a hospital inside a year from the Clostridium difficile bug.

The deaths in Glasgow's Gartnavel Hospital occurred in 2008 – a further 10 people there died from C diff the year before.

The health board area includes Vale of Leven Hospital where nine people died from the bug during a six-month outbreak last year – prompting Ms Sturgeon to order an inquiry.

Labour health spokeswoman Cathy Jameson said today: "The news that 28 people have died of C diff in Gartnavel is deeply concerning.

"People expect the highest standards of care in hospital and infection-control procedures should be as tight as possible."

Ms Sturgeon was called on to look again at a 15-point plan drawn up by Labour and infectious disease expert Hugh Pennington.

Ms Jameson added: "She needs to get a grip on HAI's (hospital-acquired infections) and get on with sorting out infection-control procedures in our hospitals."

As well as the C diff deaths in Gartnavel last year, the bug was a contributory factor in six other deaths in the hospital.

Gartnavel includes the Brownlee Centre for Infectious Diseases and the Beatson West of Scotland cancer centre.

A public inquiry is also to be held into the December 2007-June 2008 Vale of Leven Hospital outbreak, where the bug was a contributory factor in a further nine deaths.