Six treated for C diff in one ward

Six patients from a hospital ward have tested positive for the C difficile bug.

The ward at the Queen Margaret Hospital in Dunfermline, Fife, has been closed to new admissions since Friday, when the patients were first taken ill.

Fife NHS Board said procedures were in place to control the spread of the infection.

They said: "The patients have been nursed in isolation as part of NHS Fife's standard operational procedure, and enhanced infection control measures have been put in place.

"There have been no new cases since August 15."

Labour said the episode highlighted the need for a full public inquiry into C diff in the aftermath of the outbreak at the Vale of Leven Hospital in West Dunbartonshire.

A total of 55 people were affected by that outbreak, in which the infection was the primary cause of death in nine patients and a contributory factor in another nine deaths.

Ms Eadie, Labour MSP for Dunfermline East, said she was "very concerned" at the latest outbreak and would seek assurances that infection control guidelines were being followed.

"Families have an absolute right to know that when their loved ones go into hospital they will be cared for in clean and safe conditions," she said.

"Sadly, Nicola Sturgeon has been consistently complacent about C diff. This new outbreak in Dunfermline underlines the need for a full public inquiry on C difficile so that lessons can be learned from the recent tragedy at the Vale of Leven, where 18 people died."

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