There have been 22 cases of Clostridium difficile (C-diff), recorded at the Whittington Hospital – more than double its threshold of 10.
A review of infection control is now underway at the Archway hospital which will look at antibiotic prescribing, isolation and cleanliness. According to the latest performance documents published by the Trust, three cases of the superbug were reported in March. One case was reported in February and three in January, taking the full year’s total to 22.
Cleanliness
C-diff is a bacterial infection that can affect the digestive system. It most commonly affects people who are staying in hospital. The hospital is implementing a “visual cleaning plan” as part of measures to tackle cross-infections after an audit found cleanliness on wards to be “less than satisfactory”.
A spokeswoman from the Whittington Hospital said: “Every case of C-diff is investigated thoroughly to understand the cause of infection and ensure we can learn from them.”
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