A Room For Each Patient To Reduce Clostridium Difficile

Between 2004 and 2006, 90 people died at hospitals in Kent run by the Maidstone & Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust. The hospitals were ravaged by one of the UK's worst incidences of Clostridium Difficile, the so-called "superbug" also known as C Diff.

The superbug, a naturally occurring bacterium that can become extremely dangerous if the natural balance of the body is upset, affected more than 1,000 people. A report into the outbreak blamed poor hygiene at the Kent hospitals involved.

C Diff can cause diarrhoea but in serious cases can lead to severe dehydration and even death; it is particularly dangerous for vulnerable people including the very young, the elderly or those with impaired immunity. C Diff is such a threat because it is resistant to antibiotic treatment and can survive outside the body for 70 days, usually in unhygienic areas; it may also be resistant to some cleaning materials.

To combat the effects of C Diff and other superbugs in the future, Health Secretary Alan Johnson has given the green light to plans for a new multi-million pound state-of-the-art hospital in Tonbridge, Kent that will enable staff to control the spread of infections far more effectively.

One important measure is to provide patients with a room of their own, instead of the traditional ward system that is currently used in most hospitals. Other innovations include separate areas for treatment and emergencies, combining maternity and children’s services into a single zone and separating inpatient and outpatient facilities.

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