Royal Hospital Infection 'Unreported'

It has been claimed today that an infection acquired by a young patient in one of Northern Ireland's top hospital's operating theatres went unreported, despite the youngster getting the infection while undergoing brain surgery.

The BBC said today that Co Antrim man Gerry Bond made the discovery about the Royal Victoria Hospital by using the Freedom of Information Act. He also discovered that the theatre where his grandson Michael's operation took place failed to meet minimum hygiene requirements more than once.

However, a hospital spokesman said today they had acted on Mr Bond's findings.

"I was shocked when I looked at the data for 2007/2008," Ian Jamison, Acting Head of Patient Client Support Services, told BBC Radio Ulster today.

"That's what lead to the managerial restructuring and the additional capacity being put in to make sure these audits are completed on a more frequent basis."

The case came about after young Michael was diagnosed with a brain tumour last April, when he was 15.

It was successfully removed by surgeons at the Royal Victoria Hospital within days, but while he was there Michael contracted a spinal infection and six days after his operation he was rushed to the high dependency unit.

The incident prompted Mr Bond to inquire about how often theatres and wards were cleaned at the Royal Victoria Hospital.

He found out that Theatre One, the main neurosurgical theatre where his grandson received his operation, had received two cleaning audits over a period of 52 weeks.

He also found that for the adjoining Ward F, of the eight audits sent to him, only three scored the minimum compliance level of 75%.

"I'm not satisfied one shred," Mr Bond said.

Mr Bond has also taken his case to the Patient and Client Council - an organisation established by NI Health Minister Michael McGimpsey in April which provides an independent voice for patients and carers.

The Minister said he was committed to improving and maintaining high standards of hygiene in hospitals.

"As part of the drive to reduce healthcare-associated infections some £9m has been invested over three years in a range of measures including a rolling programme of unannounced hygiene inspections," he said.

"If any shortcomings are identified in a hospital setting, whether this is related to hygiene standards or environmental cleanliness, I fully expect them to be addressed immediately and this is monitored closely."

However, no comment was forthcoming from the Minister in respect of another incident reported earlier this month, where a young man from Newry - who has suffered a complex fracture - was left waiting over two weeks to be seen by a specialised medic at the Royal Hospital.

Even though that news was likely to have been a considerable disappointment for Michael McGimpsey, who had praised the care of fracture patients at other hospitals and the achievement of targets for treatment, no such comment was forthcoming from his Department when questioned on the issue.

See: Royal's Fracture Clinic Failing Patient

(BMcC)