Bug inquiry death total doubled by probe team

AN INQUIRY into a deadly outbreak of Clostridium difficile at a Scottish hospital has doubled the number of deaths it is investigating.

The Vale of Leven inquiry, which was yesterday adjourned until May, was initially focused on 18 deaths linked to the bug between December 2007 and June 2008. But it has been widened to look at 39 deaths where C difficile may or may not have played a part.

It is understood that the cases may involve patients whose relatives believe they had been infected with C difficile but where this had not been recorded on a death certificate.

Yesterday, Scottish Labour expressed concern after the inquiry, sitting in Glasgow, was adjourned until May.

The party's health spokeswoman, Jackie Baillie, said the outbreak, at the Vale of Leven Hospital in Dunbartonshire, had been the most deadly in the UK.

The inquiry adjourned after three days of witnesses, with the chairman saying it was hoped to restart in May. Specialist reports were being prepared.

Ms Baillie said it was right that the inquiry should consider all the deaths at the hospital which had the potential to be linked to C difficile.

She said: "They are going through these cases to establish which should be included and which shouldn't. The fact we are talking about 39 where they think C difficile may have played a part is astonishing."

A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: "Initial indications following the outbreak at the Vale of Leven Hospital showed that 55 people had been affected between 1 December 2007 and 1 June 2008.

"At that time, 18 deaths cited C difficile as either the direct cause or a contributory factor in the death. We note that the inquiry has widened the scope of its investigations to consider whether C difficile has been either the direct cause or a contributory factor in 39 deaths."