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Nurses to get legal advice in probe
 

NURSES are to be given legal advice before being questioned by police over a string of deaths during an outbreak of the Clostridium difficile bug.

The outbreak was linked to 18 deaths at the Vale of Leven Hospital in Alexandria, Dunbartonshire, and affected 55 people between December 2007 and last June.

Police and health inspectors launched an investigation following publication of an independent report last summer.

Norman Provan, of the Royal College of Nurses Scotland, said: "For those who are asked to attend police interviews, we are arranging for them to meet our legal advisers before being interviewed."

It is unusual for police to question NHS staff over outbreaks of healthcare-associated infections.

Both Strathclyde Police and the Health and Safety Executive are involved in the inquiry and will submit reports to the fiscal.

Meanwhile, Dumbarton Labour MSP Jackie Baillie and Scotland's top microbiologist Professor Hugh Pennington today said a regulatory body must be appointed to reduce deadly Hospital Acquired Infections.

They are urging the Scottish Government to adopt a series of measures to cut the number of deaths caused by diseases such as C-difficile.

They say it must aim to cut C-diff cases by 50% by 2011 and believe a Commissioner on Hospital Acquired Infections should be appointed to drive the process.

The measures they suggest include better handwashing facilities, independent inspection teams to ensure infection control guidelines are being properly implemented, immediate detailed analysis at ward-level, a sterile hygiene system for staff uniforms and facilities for steam-cleaning beds at every hospital.

Professor Pennington said the package drew on tried and tested international practice and would bring Scotland into line with other countries that have controlled Hospital Acquired Infections more effectively.

Publication date 14/01/09

Posted by: victor meldrew, condorrat on 11:09am Wed 14 Jan 09
I thought the object of this exercise was to prevent more deaths from C-dif. -Why the need for 'legal advice'? - Surely more need for straightforward 'honesty'?
Posted by: wild wadi, kirkie on 11:44am Wed 14 Jan 09
If Jackie Baillie is involved Ah'd be gettin' ma ain QC.FFS.
Posted by: Goose, Baku on 12:42pm Wed 14 Jan 09
Nurses are crackin'.... especially in uniform !!

Rich, does yur Mrs still sook like a Dyson ?
Posted by: The X Factor, Glasgow on 1:49pm Wed 14 Jan 09
is this the same Professor Hugh Pennington, president of the Society for General Microbiology, who predicted that two million uk residents would die of bird flu?

On BSE (remember that? "we have to prepare for perhaps thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, of cases of CJD coming down the line."

to be fair he does make the point that the slaughterman is far more regulated for hygeine with dead animals than nurses and hospital satff are with the living.

ps I would close the Vale hospital tomorrow.
Posted by: leesome, Glasgow on 3:11pm Wed 14 Jan 09
About time the Police got their law into the health boards, the hospital system has become a place of lawlessness and disrespect for any-thing out-side of NHS, body corporate health. care?

Too many killers walk the wards and too many abusers hide those terrible evil people.

Polygraph them!
Posted by: I hear your pain, me,me,me on 3:58pm Wed 14 Jan 09
leesome wrote:
About time the Police got their law into the health boards, the hospital system has become a place of lawlessness and disrespect for any-thing out-side of NHS, body corporate health. care?

Too many killers walk the wards and too many abusers hide those terrible evil people.

Polygraph them!
As usual nurses get the blame when it really lays with the Government hospital managers & the visiting public.
Is it any wonder medical staff are going abroad in their droves.
Too many killers leesome?...
Posted by: Pete, Glasgow on 7:22pm Wed 14 Jan 09
leesome wrote:
About time the Police got their law into the health boards, the hospital system has become a place of lawlessness and disrespect for any-thing out-side of NHS, body corporate health. care? Too many killers walk the wards and too many abusers hide those terrible evil people. Polygraph them!
And exactly what type of hospital were you in?
Posted by: jeezoh1, new zealand on 5:51am Thu 15 Jan 09
On the BSE front it may still have an impact. In NZ they will not accept you as a blood donor if you lived in the UK between 1980 and 1990's. I've giving blood all my adult life in Scotland but now Kiwi politely decline in due to BSE risk! Are there any other countries that are doing this?
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