C diff bug kills five patients every week

This equates to five patients a week dying as a direct result of the bug, which was also listed as a contributory factor in a further ten deaths every week.

There are now more fatalities linked to C difficile in Scotland's hospitals than on our roads. The figures were described by one victim's family as "shocking", while politicians accused the Scottish Government of complacency in its handling of the issue.

There was also a growing clamour for a forthcoming public inquiry into an outbreak of C difficile at the Vale of Leven hospital in Dunbartonshire to be widened to cover the situation across the whole of Scotland.

However, there was some encouraging news on superbugs yesterday, with a drop in the rate of the MRSA deaths, although 214 were still linked to the infection in 2008. The new figures, released by the Registrar General, are based on information recorded on death certificates in Scotland.

They showed that, last year, 248 people had C difficile recorded as the underlying – or main – cause of death, up 13 per cent on 2007. In addition, 517 people had C difficile listed as a contributory factor – a 37 per cent jump on the 377 recorded the previous year.

The data also revealed that 48 deaths had MRSA as the main cause, down 14 per cent from the 56 in 2007. A further 166 had the infection as a contributory factor, down 5 per cent from 174.

The Scottish Government pointed out that deaths caused by C difficile had fallen in the course of 2008, from 75 in the first three months to 42 by the end of the year.

Health secretary Nicola Sturgeon said: "Tackling so-called superbugs like C difficile and MRSA is a huge challenge, but it's vital we make progress to ensure people have confidence in the quality of care they receive.

"While the overall number of deaths linked to C difficile rose in 2008, it is encouraging that the number fell steadily throughout the year.

"More specifically, comparing the last quarter in 2008 with that of 2007, the drop is nearly 30 per cent.

"As expected, in many ways the death rates mirror the infection rates, which peaked in the first half of 2008. Since then, infection rates have fallen steadily and are now at their lowest level since monitoring began."

Ms Sturgeon said the figures gave "cautious grounds for optimism", adding: "But we can never be complacent."

The figures also revealed the hospitals with the most deaths linked to the infections.

Aberdeen Royal Infirmary had the highest number of deaths linked to C difficile, with 36 cases where it was mentioned as either an underlying or contributory factor.

Woodend Hospital, also in Aberdeen, had 24 such deaths.

NHS Grampian's deputy medical director, Dr Pauline Strachan, said: "NHS Grampian takes the control of all infections, including C difficile and MRSA, extremely seriously and will leave no stone unturned in the drive to reduce the level of infection in our hospitals.

"These figures are disappointing, but must be seen in the context of 70,559 admissions to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary and 18,365 admissions to Woodend Hospital in this time period."

Hairmyres Hospital in East Kilbride, Lanarkshire, had 32 deaths linked to C difficile, and there were 31 at Crosshouse Hospital in Kilmarnock, Ayrshire.

The number of C difficile-associated deaths at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary jumped from 17 in 2007 to 31 last year.

Not surprisingly, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde – Scotland's biggest health board – had the largest number of deaths, at 182. These included 23 at Gartnavel in Glasgow and 22 at the Vale of Leven.

Earlier this year, Ms Sturgeon announced a public inquiry into the deadly outbreak at the Vale, with 18 deaths were linked to the infection.

Liberal Democrat health spokesman Ross Finnie said the latest statistics were the strongest argument yet that the inquiry should be widened – to cover the whole of Scotland and to include the way in which C difficile deaths are recorded.

"Until such an inquiry is concluded, we cannot be sure that we are taking the right steps to prevent such outbreaks in the future," he said. "This inquiry must now get under way as quickly as possible.

"In the meantime, ministers must keep up the pressure on health boards to monitor these outbreaks and drive down hospital infections rates."

Dr Richard Simpson, Scottish Labour's public health spokesman, said the figures "show the tragic cost of Nicola Sturgeon's complacency on C difficile".

He went on: "Behind every recorded death is a personal tragedy, but these are particularly tragic, because deaths from C difficile are avoidable.

"Scottish Labour will continue to press the SNP to implement in full our 15-point plan on healthcare-associated infections drawn up with professors Hugh Pennington and Brian Toft, so that no more families have to suffer the torment of losing a loved one because basic hygiene standards aren't in place."

Michelle Stewart, whose mother-in-law, Sarah McGinty, 67, died in the Vale of Leven outbreak said the new figures were "shocking".

"There are more deaths linked to C difficile than there are on Scotland's roads each year," she said. "These C difficile deaths are preventable and the number should not be anywhere near this high.

"In this day and age, deaths from this kind of infection should not be happening."

Ms Stewart said she suspected the actual number of deaths was even higher than what was recorded on death certificates.

"We know of cases where the family knows a relative had C difficile when they died, but when the death certificate is written, it only includes what they went into hospital with. That is not acceptable."

SILENT KILLER

CLOSTRIDIUM difficile is a bacterium which can, in some cases, lead to serious complications and death.

Its infection effects range from mild to severe diarrhoea to severe inflammation of the bowel.

People who have been treated with broad spectrum antibiotics – those that affect a wide range of bacteria – are among those at greatest risk from C difficile.

When such antibiotics disturb the balance of bacteria in the gut, C difficile can multiply rapidly and produce toxins which cause illness.

Those with serious underlying illnesses and the elderly are also at higher risk – more than 80 per cent of C difficile infections reported are in people aged over 65.

The infection is usually spread on the hands of healthcare staff and other people who come into contact with infected patients or with surfaces contaminated with the bacterium or its spores.