James Cook hospital superbug numbers 'of significant concern' says South Tees trust

The number of patients contracting a potentially life-threatening superbug at a Teesside hospital is “of significant concern”, a senior medic has warned.

South Tees NHS Trust, which runs James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough, has breached its annual target for cases of clostridium difficile (C.Diff) by seven, with two months still to go.

South Tees was set a limit by health watchdog Monitor of no more than 49 cases for the year to April 2015.

But with six cases in January, the target has already been failed after the total hit 56.

Health watchdog Monitor raised concerns over the level of hospital infections at the trust in 2013, when it put the organisation under investigation.

A report by director of nursing Ruth Holt said the incidence of hospital-acquired infection at the trust, which also runs The Friarage, in Northallerton, is of “significant concern”.

There were 13 cases of C. Diff at James Cook Hospital in January, six of which were classed as “trust-apportioned”.

There was a cluster of three cases of infection on one ward in January.

The report added: “The current position in respect of C.Diff is the cause of considerable concern causing patient safety and reputational risk.

“The organisation was very busy in January 2015 with high levels of non-elective activity, resulting in higher than ideal levels of bed occupancy. We know that high bed occupancy is a risk factor in respect of HCAI(Healthcare-associated infections). The risk increases above 85% bed occupancy.”

It the second year the trust has missed its target, after recording 57 cases a year earlier - well above its target of 37.

The latest incidences are despite a number of further measures being put in place, including additional cleaning, a focus on hand hygiene and care around the prescribing of antibiotics.

C.Diff can cause diarrhoea, a high temperature and painful abdominal cramps but in serious cases can cause life-threatening complications such as severe swelling of the bowel.

Ms Holt said: “It is disappointing. The first thing to say is C. Diff is an organism that lives in the gut of about 3% of the population. It’s not uncommon. You or I could be walking around with it and not know it. It’s when you become unwell and your body is under stress that it becomes a problem.

“We can assure the public that we are taking action to reduce it and doing that as quickly as possible.

“I’d absolutely ideally like to reduce it to zero, but with people walking around with it, that’s realistically not going to happen, but we are doing everything possible to keep instances as close to zero as we can.

“Some antibiotics can cause it to grow and flourish, so work has been done around ensuring the right antibiotics are given.

“We would say to the public that they can help by making sure that they wash hands when they’re coming into our clinical areas, and if they have had diarrhoea in the previous 48 hours, not to visit.”