Family may sue over MRSA at hospital (From Leigh Journal)

Family may sue over MRSA at hospital

1:28pm Saturday 9th February 2008 in

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A FAMILY is planning to sue the Royal Bolton Hospital over a superbug infection.

Health chiefs have received notification of intended litigation from the family because of an infection acquired at the hospital.

The news follows a warning last week from Bolton solicitor Louise Griffiths, who specialises in cases of alleged clinical negligence.

She said hospitals could face a surge of claims after actress Lesley Ash won a record £5 million out-of-court settlement from the NHS after she contracted the superbug, MRSA, at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital.

Heather Edwards, head of communication at the Royal Bolton, said: "In order to be successful, litigants have to prove that an infection was contracted through negligence on the part of the hospital and here at the Royal Bolton Hospital we take our duty very seriously.

"While it is recognised nationally that invasive procedures carry a risk of infection, we have a raft of measures aimed at reducing that risk."

Cases of MRSA and Clostridium difficile have fallen at the hospital in the last 12 months, but it is still failing to meet Government targets.

There were 16 cases of MRSA from April to September last year, five fewer than the same period in 2006.

Between April and December last year, there were 26 cases of MRSA.

The Government target, which is for the 12 months between April, 2007, and April, 2008, is just 16.

There were 209 outbreaks of Clostridium difficile between April and December last year, down from 279 in 2006 - a reduction of 25 per cent. Bolton Primary Care Trust had set the hospital a reduction target of 20 per cent, while there was none set by the Government for Clostridium difficile.