Public Inquiry Into CDiff Announced

There is to be a public inquiry into the often deadly Clostridium Difficile outbreak in the Northern Health and Social Care Trust.

In a statement to the Assembly, the NI Health Minister Michael McGimpsey (pictured) announced his intention to hold an inquiry after received the final report from the initial Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA), and said that a number of questions still remained unanswered.

He said: "It is clear from both this final report and the RQIA's interim report, published in June, that infection prevention and control and Clostridium Difficile was taken seriously as an issue across Northern Ireland.

"There are some 17 recommendations in the review and we will now get on with the work of implementing them.

"However, two important issues remain unanswered; firstly, how many people died as a result of the outbreak and secondly, what were the experiences of patients and others who were directly affected by the outbreak?

"I want to restore public confidence in the safety and quality of healthcare. That is why I have decided to hold a public inquiry that will examine these questions.

"I will advise the Assembly in due course of the Terms of Reference and the membership of the inquiry team," he said.

Turning to the report's findings on infection control practices the Minister said that the Northern Trust appeared to be as well prepared as any other trust in Northern Ireland to deal with an outbreak.

"However, the review also found that the trust did not have good systems in place to ensure that policies adopted by the trust board were being implemented and observed at ward level.

"The report also points to issues with infection control systems and cleaning arrangements in the Northern Trust, significant level of patient transfers between hospitals and shortfalls in nursing and cleaning staff," he highlighted noting that practical and financial support to the Trust was provided by the Northern Health and Social Services Board to manage the outbreak, and officials in the department provided support to the trust when the outbreak was declared.

The NHS Cleaner Hospitals Team also helped to support the trust and the outbreak was declared over in August.

"The RQIA review team have identified a number of valuable lessons which can be applied not only in Northern Ireland but further afield.

"Our clear duty is to act on these lessons, to do that across Northern Ireland, and to do it without delay," he concluded.

Meanwhile, Sinn Féin's Mitchel McLaughlin, the MLA for South Antrim has welcomed the announcement to initiate a public inquiry.

He said: "Sinn Féin welcomes the fact that the Minister for Health, Michael McGimpsey has announced that there will be review into the deaths of patients in the Northern Trust Hospitals.

"Following 16 deaths, 10 of them in the Antrim Area Hospital, Sinn Féin called for a public enquiry. Today the Minister has answered that call," he said.

(BMcC)