Inquiry call over bug-link deaths

C. difficile is largely recognised as a hospital-acquired infection

An assembly member has called for a public inquiry into 16 deaths at one hospital trust in the last six months.

The deaths, at three hospitals in the Northern Trust area, are linked to an outbreak of the hospital bug, Clostridium difficile.

Twenty-seven patients are still being treated for the infection at Northern Trust hospitals.

Sinn Fein's Mitchel McLaughlin has called on the health minister to improve hygiene standards.

Ten of the deaths occurred at Antrim Area Hospital and 13 other people are being treated there for the effects of C. difficile, which is largely recognised as a hospital-acquired infection.

Five deaths occurred at Whiteabbey Hospital and one at Braid Valley Hospital.

The Department of Health said the trust was keeping it updated on what action it is taking to minimise risk to patients and prevent further outbreaks.

"The department is aware that C.difficile has been cited on the death certificates of 16 patients in the Northern Trust area," it said.

"However, it should be noted that, as many patients who have C.difficile infection are already ill from other causes, it can be difficult to determine the actual contribution that C.difficile has made to an individual death."

The trust said the numbers being treated were "higher than expected".

Dr Peter Flanagan said there was "clear cause for concern".

Mitchel McLaughlin has called for a public inquiry

"In 16 incidents, the deaths were associated with C. difficile, but we have to keep in mind that these patients are generally older patients, frailer patients, who often have multiple other health problems," he said.

The bacterium causes diarrhoea and can even lead to a rupturing of the bowel. It tends to affect the over 65s.

The Northern Trust has recently identified a virulent strain called ribotype 027 - believed to be the first time this strain has emerged in Northern Ireland.

One man whose mother died at Whiteabbey hospital in November 2006 said she had been getting better after treatment for a blood problem.

However, he said she took violently ill and was "dead within four days."

"They told us C. diff was contributory factor. It was mentioned on the death certificate," he said.

Graziella Kontkowski, whose grandmorther died after contracting the infection, is founder of the C. difficile support group.

She has blamed the infection on poor hygiene within hospitals.

Some patients are being treated in a special ward

"Unless they are killed off by thorough, effective cleaning with bleach based products patients are going to continue to contract C. diff, " she said.

Mitchel McLaughlin has urged Health Minister Michael McGimpsey to begin a public inquiry.

"It is unacceptable that so many people entering hospital in order to have illnesses and other ailments treated that, instead of looking forward to successful treatment of their existing health problems, run the risk of contracting life threatening bugs through poor hospital hygiene."

SDLP MLA Carmel Hanna, a member of the Stormont health committee, called for all patients going into hospital to be screened.

"It means if somebody has the bug they are immediately isolated. You reduce the spread of the infection," she said.

"It is a case of everybody being involved - right from the cleaners to the porters, right up to the consultants."

However, Dr Tim Wyatt from the Communicable Diseases Surveillance Centre in Belfast said unlike the MRSA superbug, it was not possible to screen for C. difficile.

"The only time that you can see that the patient has C. difficile is when they develop diarrhoea," he said.

"This particularly nasty virulent strain of C. diff that works extremely quickly compared with other types of C. diff and this develops very rapidly and produces more toxin, more spores."