C-Diff

[westport321]

re ionns meeting... go for it! the dirt and filth I have seen inthe big NHS hospitals is a disgrace to humanity. The refusal of health care workers to own this problem is appaling.you would be better of lying in the gutter with an open wound.
The sick need to be the primary concern, they are not at this time considered anything but a nusiance to overworked staff.
Janitorial staff is a joke and I will reiterate about management that knows full well the problem but dos'nt want to deal with it.
We are now into the time of year that new doctors start" treating" patients, These clowns are thrown into the see one, do one, teach one principal and hurt people, thats what happened to my family member. so don't go in for anything serious if you can help it, untill later in the year.There is nothing wrong with asking how many of these procedures the particular practitioner has performed, if this is the 1st or second time ask for someone who knows what they are doing and ask them the same question.
When I was a wee girl my grandfather told me that if I seen anything that was unfair to people, to speak out, because if I did not I shouldnt complain when it happened to me. He was a member of the clydeside reds so I assume the troublemaker tag has landed on the family as we are a vocal group.
Im thinking of you Ionns,

[ionnsaigh]

Bobbie, Thanks for that, made me think - As I'm no doubt you are aware - that our health service is publicly funded through a national insurance scheme. As someone who upholds the value of this - I find privateering morally indefensible. However we have always shared a kind of - if we won the lottery type dream. People who suffer mental illness - appear to be way down the list of priorities of the NHS. An open all day and night drop-in with advice company support - now that is me counting chickens before they are hatched. I can't afford to daydream at this time. Compensation - we have yet to determine what caused George's death. Something I will bear in mind though.

[ionnsaigh]

Westport321,
Once again I'm able to draw - knowledge strength and comfort from your posts. At present we are compiling a list of unanswered questions and concerns for the attention of the Review Team. I - with thanks to you - include the experience aspects of any doctors involved.
Now listen don't get me started about the Red Clydesiders. Your Grandfather may have met Manny Shinwell ,Wullie Gallagher,
John Maxton, and the great John MacLean.

[FlyingDragon]

Ionns, I am very sorry for your loss. I see from your posts that you are a very brave and caring man. All the people of Scotland deserves to have decent health care. Let your voice be heard. God bless

[ionnsaigh]

Flying Dragon, Thanks for that - I have to take exception to the term brave.
Mick the coward of the county.

[ionnsaigh]

Mike, here is the statement - Your the first to receive it - however as your aware I have to raise this issue to a greater level. So I will post it to various agencies this afternoon.

regards
Mick

The bereaved family of George Donoghue today - appeal directly to Nicola Sturgeon the minister responsible for health in Scotland - We address the SNP government in Edinburgh. George was one of many who died tragically and unnecessary in the Vale of Leven Hospitals C-Diff outbreak. The worst contamination of it’s kind in Scotland. We ask the Health Minister to instigate a full public inquiry. Public confidence in the Health Service has been badly damaged as a result of this completely avoidable disaster.
The SNP say they stand for a free and independent Scotland. They have at their means the power to grant - the large section of the Scottish electorate - who are currently served by the board - both the right to an inquiry - and the fundamental human right in a civilised society - to receive high standards of care in clean hospitals.
The people of central west coast Scotland - have contributed greatly - to the overall economy and well being of Scotland. Yet we have had to endure - to the shame of Britain some of the highest incidents of chronic illness - and premature death in Western Europe. We recognise - the self evident relationship between poverty and ill health - who’s existence is irrefutably marked on the poor - a bleak and damming picture painted by previous administrations. You now have this opportunity to right a great wrong . The people of oil rich Scotland deserve a health service - second to none. By granting this appeal - you take one step closer to a free fair and just Scotland.
The one month review of the current crisis - appears to have been made in haste. One in which the limited timescale - casts doubt on your sincerity and determination to get to the truth - then as a matter of the highest moral priority - your government must proceed to wipe out Scotland’s biggest killer - Poverty.
Nemo Me Impune Lacessit

[westport321]

hmmm, well..... what the hell does poverty have to do with the disgraceful level of care in the vale,makes the Scots sound like they live in the dark ages, but its a start

[ionnsaigh]

One small step perhaps. The detrimental affects of poverty cast a huge burden on the NHS. When you examine say figures from Glasgow's East End - conditions that have been attributable to the poor life quality. The Royal Infirmary has been inundated with the poor - and their related conditions of the lungs heart and cancer.You may argue that these diseases strike whatever the economic class. However poor living conditions - tend to weaken the body as time goes on. The poor are more susceptible through poor diets and lifestyles. The figures speak for themselves. Glad you liked the statement though

[ionnsaigh]

Inspectors find filthy conditions at hospital where 18 patients died of superbug C.diff

Jul 13 2008 By Raymond Hainey

HOSPITAL inspectors uncovered a catalogue of filth, decay and malpractice five months AFTER a killer superbug outbreak began.

Eighteen people have died from the C.difficile bug at overcrowded Vale of Leven Hospital in six months.

Last night their relatives spoke of their shock at the squalor found on the wards.

Inspectors found the appalling conditions at the hospital - where the first C.diff case came in December - on May 27.

Since then, another patient has died partly as a result of contracting the bug and two more have been infected.

The shameful conditions included:

Wards with no working wash basins.

Dirty linen stored next to clean linen.

Filthy toilets and commodes soiled with excrement.

Corridors flooded because of faulty showers.

Holes in flooring and walls.

Mattresses stored on floors. The inspection was ordered at the hospital in Alexandria, Dunbartonshire, as bosses linked three C.diff cases and feared it was sweeping through the hospital.

It was later established C.diff had killed nine people and was implicated in the deaths of eight more between December and May. More than 50 were infected by the bug.

But campaigners are most shocked that a further C.diff-related death happened on June 23 - weeks after the inspection.

On June 11, a second report warned beds were too close together because of overcrowding. Some were 1.75 metres apart, much less than the Health and Safety Executive minimum of 3.6 metres.

The review added: "Many of the commodes were found not to be fit for use and require to be urgently replaced.

"Throughout the hospital, in both clinical and patient toilet areas, there is a lack of dedicated hand hygiene basins.

"In some clinical areas, there are no hygiene basins within a reasonable area and some toilets have no hygiene basins."

Scotland's top infection expert last night branded the conditions an ideal breeding ground for the deadly bug.

Professor Hugh Pennington said: "I have no doubt that initially people were infected because of the conditions there.

"Dirty toilets, patient areas not having wash hand basins, these are fundamental conditions which allow C.diff to spread.

"We learned all this in the 19th century and it's crazy these things are still going on. All these deaths in a small hospital - you can only explain that as there being something seriously wrong with the place."

Kim McGarrity, 26, of Bonhill, whose grandmother Ellen Gildea died in March, said: "It's a damning report. It's down to a lack of funding and resources.

"It's a hospital. It should be absolutely spotless and it clearly wasn't. My grandmother was taken to hospital suffering from a stroke and died as a result of this."

Sheila Chandler's father Alister Johnston died aged 66 of C.diff in March - two weeks after a test for the bug came up negative. He had been discharged but collapsed at home and was readmitted to the hospital.

Sheila said: "The hospital is in a very poor condition and not having enough sinks to wash hands is disgraceful.

"The staff try their hardest but the place clearly needs a lot of money spent on it to bring it up to a decent standard."

Michelle Stewart, whose mother-in-law Sarah McGinty died at the hospital in February, said: "We all feel very angry because this was left to go on so long. The response was totally unprofessional and the fact is it risked lives and cost lives.

"People died in Vale of Leven who could have been saved.

"We want to know why it took so long to get things done and what lessons will be learned from this."

The report was sent to the Scottish Government and Greater Glasgow and Clyde health board and an infection control team was given the task of improving conditions in the hospital.

Following its publication, the full horror of the outbreak began to emerge.

The latest death partly caused by C.diff emerged last month.

On Friday families who lost loved ones met up and agreed to write to Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon to demand a face-to-face meeting.

They are also calling for a full and independent public inquiry.

In a statement to the Scottish Parliament on June 18, Sturgeon outlined the full extent of the outbreak and admitted there were serious concerns over the hospital's infection control measures.

Labour health spokesman Dr Richard Simpson said: "The very best we can say about Nicola Sturgeon is that she failed to give Parliament a full and frank account of what happened.

"At worst, she deliberately misled MSPs."

Sturgeon said last night: "I made it clear in my statement on June 18 my concerns about the surveillance systems in place at Vale of Leven Hospital. It is the allegations made aboutme by the Labour Party that are not being frank."

'Many commodes were unfit for use and clinical and patient toilets have no hand basins' Inspectors' report

Infection control experts uncovered more than 140 hygiene horrors at Vale of Leven.The team visited eight wards and units. Here are some of the worst failings.

WARD 3

Commode soiled with excrement. Broken wall plaster. Water flooding from the shower into the corridor due to faulty seals. Leaking toilet. No wash-hand sink in a patient toilet. No sinks in four-bedded rooms.

WARD 5

Staff and patients forced to wash hands in sink in the corridor due to a lack of sinks in bed areas. Broken floor areas. Soiled toilet seat in the shower room. Intravenous fluid boxes being stored on the floor of the treatment room. No dedicated wash-hand sink in the treatment room.

CRITICAL CARE UNIT

No dedicated wash-hand sink in the room used for cleaning bedpans. No sink in the patient toilet. Staff and patients also had to use a wash-hand sink in the corridor because one fourbed area had no sink.

WARD 14

Linen stored in the patient day room. Cracked walls in the dining area. Clean linen also stored beside dirty linen. Floors in an "extremely poor" state in several single rooms.

WARD 15

Clean linen stored beside soiled linen. Broken flooring all over the ward. No proper hand-wash facilities in the room used for cleaning bedpans. Only cold water available at one sink.

WARD F

Limited access to wash-hand sink. Uncovered linen trolley in treatment room. Broken bath in one of the bathrooms.

SUNDAY EMAIL

r.hainey@sundaymail.co.uk

[ionnsaigh]

Here is a copy of an E-Mail I sent this morning to the review team investigating the outbreak.
George died after he contracted Clostdium Difficile ( C-diff ) virus

The death certificate makes no mention of this.

1. I thought there was a directive for all Doctors, to include C-diff if appropriate.
2. Where the doctors involved, experienced in C-diff deaths.
On the day George died, the infection control team issued a statement in relation to George's death.
" This patient was seriously ill from an unrelated condition and C. diff was not the main cause of death "
3. Had this prognosis been directly influenced by the doctors - who signed the certificate.
4. If so: How accurate is the prognosis - how can they tell.

We had twice requested, a second opinion by asking for a post mortem.
5. This was denied. Can we have a reason please.

The family have phoned the hospital for several weeks now - attempting to gain access to medical records.
So far this has been unsuccessful - After a number of calls - they now insist on my elderly mother writing, as
she is Next of Kin.


During George's stay in the Royal Alexandria ( Two weeks ) They decided to transfer him to the Vale.
He was heavily sedated - so much so that he remained comatose for Two days.
6. Why did they decide to move him to the vale - the outbreak was common knowledge by then.
7. Why did they need to sedate him.
8. What was the sedation.
9. What was the dosage.
10.Why was this procedure deemed necessary.

Communication with the hospital has so far been - a quick word in the corridor by passing nurses.
11. We have never seen a doctor.
The first we heard of C-diff was after George died.
12. How long was he being treated for the virus.
. We where informed again by nursing staff - that George had picked up a wee infection and it was MRSA.
13. Why where we given wrong information.

These are some of the questions that as yet - we don't have answers for.
We hope your inquiry sheds light on these.
Michael Donoghue.

[ionnsaigh]

Thank you for your correspondence. The Review Team are grateful for your input.

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[ionnsaigh]

Dear Mr Donoghue



The Independent Review Team would like to meet with you either on the afternoon of 23rd July or on the morning or afternoon of 24th July at the Vale of Leven Hospital to listen to your views. Would any of these times be suitable for you?



Best wishes



Yours sincerely



Cheryl Paris

Secretary, Independent Review Team

[ionnsaigh]

Thanks for being so prompt in replying to my mail.

As for the times and dates - are we being given an option - to choose between one morning and two afternoons?.

We have concluded that the choice of venue -( the scene of the accident ) lacks both in sensitivity and empathy. Some degree of psychological damage - has been created by these unhappy events. The Vale is the last place on earth - any of us would dare go into - at this moment in time. Can you give us a guarantee that we won't catch the bug at the vale?. As one of us did catch the bug. Perhaps in the Royal Alexandria who knows?. I recognize your logistical constraints - however we are a large family with different lives - this presents problematic - in attempting to bring people together - when no set date has been fixed - in order to facilitate the review. I would suggest you consider an alternative venue - one that takes into consideration the trauma of bereavement. I would suggest the family home in Carntyne as an appropriate option.
Kind regards

Michael Donoghue.

[ionnsaigh]

Mike,
Welcome to the forum. sorry about that wee misunderstanding - a wee bit naughty on my part.
Cheers
Mick.

[ionnsaigh]

Dear Mr Donoghue



Many thanks for your comments and suggestions. I have taken these on board and will arrange a meeting room at a hotel in Dumbarton (exact venue to be confirmed) to allow you and your family members to meet with the review team. While the team will not be able to answer many of the detailed questions you have they would very much like to listen and learn from your experience. We also recognise that while it is not possible to have your whole family at one place at one time, we would like to meet representatives of your family who have been closely involved and feel best able to communicate their experience to us.



As you would prefer me to set a date and time for you and you family, I would suggest 1.15pm on Wednesday 23rd July. Let me know if this date and time suits you.



Many thanks



Best wishes



Cheryl Paris

0131 244 3457