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The son of a war veteran who died after contracting Clostridium difficile has attacked a UK hospital’s “appalling record” in tackling the resistant pathogen.
Major Sam Weller, 88, from Gloucester, contracted the infection as he recovered from a hip operation at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital.
An inquest into the 88-year-old’s death recorded an accidental verdict, but Major Weller’s son Martin, 59, said he “didn’t deserve to die like this”.
He added: “Gloucestershire Royal Hospital has an appalling record for C difficile and here is another tragic case. My father died in a lot of pain.
“There are certain remaining issues left unresolved by this verdict.
“I will have to take that up with whoever is responsible at the hospital now the inquest is over. I want to give them the opportunity to reply.”
A spokeswoman for Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said the hospital has been “successful” in cutting infection rates.
She said: “We would like to reassure the family and members of the public that the trust takes the control of infections extremely seriously, and has been working hard over the past year to reduce rates.”
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Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust: http://www.gloshospitals.org.uk
