teaser
Clostridium difficile (C difficile) has been detected in six hospital
patients who were treated at the scandal-hit hospital trust at the centre of a previous deadly outbreak.
The cases were discovered over a period of two weeks on one ward at Maidstone Hospital, which is run by Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust.
According to trust spokesman Paul Bryden, one patient has returned home to Holland while the five other patients are recovering well on side wards.
He added that the ward has now been deep cleaned, and it has been given the all-clear by infection control chief Dr Sara Mumford.
Last month a Healthcare Commission report criticised the trust after it emerged that a catalogue of errors allowed the bug to thrive, contributing to outbreaks that were linked to 90 deaths.
A total of 345 people died while infected with the bug and more than 1,100 were infected across a two-year period at the trust, which forced Health Secretary Alan Johnson to apologise for the “truly scandalous” outbreak.
Police and health and safety officials continue investigations into patient care at the trust, and measures have been taken in an effort to restore public confidence.
Two healthcare assistants were sacked earlier this month, and one staff nurse and another healthcare assistant were disciplined following an inquiry into patient care.
Copyright © PA Business 2007
Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust
