Vale of Leven Hospital Inquiry Report Published

The report of the Vale of Leven Hospital Inquiry has now been published, and has revealed that serious personal and systemic failures contributed to the deaths of 34 patients from Clostridium difficile infection (CDI).

The Inquiry, chaired by the Rt Hon Lord MacLean, found that 143 patients tested positive for CDI at Vale of Leven Hospital during the period January 2007 to 31st December 2008, and CDI was a factor in the death of 34 of those patients.

The report makes 75 recommendations including recommendations on infection prevention and control, nursing and medical care, antibiotic prescribing, communication with patients and relatives, and death certification.

“Patients at the Vale of Leven Hospital were badly let down by people at different levels of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde who were supposed to care for them,” explained Lord MacLean. “There were failures by individuals but the overall responsibility has to rest with the Health Board.”

“The Scottish Ministers bear ultimate responsibility for NHS Scotland and, even at the level of the Scottish Government, systems were simply not adequate to tackle effectively a healthcare associated infection like CDI,” he added.

“The major lesson to be learned is that what happened at Vale of Leven Hospital to cause such personal suffering should never be allowed to happen again,” Lord MacLean concluded.

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