Statement From The Healthcare Commission In Response To Kent Police And HSE's Announcement On Maidstone & Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust

Main Category: MRSA / Drug Resistance
Article Date: 01 Aug 2008 - 1:00 PDT

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Nigel Ellis, Head of Investigations at the Healthcare Commission, said:

"This entire process will undoubtedly have been difficult for friends and relatives of those who died during the Clostridium difficile outbreaks at Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust. Our investigation catalogued failures in management and leadership and practices on the wards that were simply unacceptable.

"Since publishing the findings of our investigation, our focus has been on ensuring that this is never allowed to happen again. We have conducted two follow-up inspections at the trust and will be back in again soon. We note the significant improvements they have made, but will make our final judgement on progress when we publish the follow-up report later this year.

"The entire NHS must learn the lessons from the events at Maidstone and Kent hospitals. There are signs that the recent focus on infection control within the NHS is starting to turn the tides, with rates of Clostridium difficile finally showing signs of decline. This must be sustained and infection rates brought down further across the country."

http://www.healthcarecommission.org.uk