THE NORTH’S Minister for Health Michael McGimpsey has apologised to those affected by a clostridium difficile (C difficile) outbreak in the Northern health trust area which covers Co Antrim, from outside Belfast city, and parts of Tyrone and Derry.
He issued his apology in the Assembly yesterday after a £2 million public inquiry into the outbreak found that in the Northern trust area there were 31 deaths for which C difficile was an underlying or a contributory cause. It found C difficile was the underlying cause in 15 deaths and a contributory cause in 16 deaths.
Five hospitals in the trust area – Antrim Area, Braid Valley, Mid-Ulster, Moyle and Whiteabbey – were affected by the virus between June 2007 and August 2008. The inquiry found failings in terms of management and communication, although it did have some positive comments about the level of care.
Mr McGimpsey said: “I want to apologise to all those affected by this outbreak, and offer my sincere sympathies to those families who lost loved ones. There is no doubt that this 027 strain of C difficile was extremely virulent and caused a great deal of pain and distress to all those affected.”
Welsh doctor Dame Deirdre Hine, who led the investigation, said C difficile presented a constant challenge. “The patients whom it affected in this outbreak...were mainly old, frail, already suffering from serious other medical conditions and had recently taken antibiotic drugs.”