“The College would like to extend its condolences to the families of those patients who tragically lost their lives during the C. difficile outbreak in the Vale of Leven. For them, this report is long overdue.
“The report includes a number of valuable findings and recommendations which the profession and all working within health must digest and respond to. Managers and clinicians must work together to ensure all the recommendations are quickly implemented. We cannot allow a recurrence of the events reported.
“While good progress has been made in reducing C. difficile in Scottish hospitals since 2007, there is no room for complacency. We must remain ever vigilant to the risks posed by all healthcare acquired infections and continue to improve our infection control procedures. As the range of drug-resistant infections increases, we must also ensure that antibiotics are used appropriately and welcome the recent promotion of Antibiotic Guardians within the NHS to encourage this [3].
“We also note the report’s findings that overstretched medical consultants were unable to provide adequate levels of supervision to trainee doctors and that the standard of medical care provided to patients was compromised. There must be enough consultants with sufficient time to provide clinical leadership, supervision of trainees and high quality care for all patients, recognising the particular needs of vulnerable groups such as the frail and elderly.”
ENDS
Contact: Graeme McAlister on 0131-247-3693 or Lindsay Paterson on 0131-247-3673
Notes to Editors
[1] Vale of Leven Inquiry report http://www.valeoflevenhospitalinquiry.org/
[2] The RCPE is an independent standard-setting body and professional membership organisation. Our aim is to improve and maintain the quality of patient care.
We help qualified doctors to pursue their careers in specialist (internal) medicine through medical examinations, education and training. We also provide resources and information to support and facilitate professional development for physicians throughout their careers.
The RCPE helps to develop standards of medical care and training and to influence health policy. We ensure that the views and practical clinical experiences of our membership are taken into account by health policymakers throughout the UK.
We have a strong UK and international presence with over 12,000 Fellows and Members in 91 countries, covering 56 medical specialties and interests.
[3] The Antibiotic Guardian Campaign was launched in association with European Antibiotic Awareness Day on Tuesday 18th November. The campaign is asking everyone in the UK, the public and medical community, to become Antibiotic Guardians by making a pledge that they personally will take to conserve our antibiotics and to ensure that they are effective when we really need them. The Antibiotic Guardian campaign has been developed by Public Health England (PHE) in collaboration with Department of Health’s Expert Advisory Committee on Antimicrobial Resistance and Healthcare Associated Infections (ARHAI); the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), the Devolved Administrations and professional bodies/ organisations towards the ‘One Health’ initiative. Making a pledge is quick and easy and can be done via the following link: http://antibioticguardian.com/
