Clostridium difficile outbreak
Six cases of the Clostridium difficile (C diff) bug stretching back about two weeks have been reported at Maidstone Hospital, sparking fears of a fresh outbreak.
The hospital, run by Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust, identified the bug in the five remaining patients after one returned home to Holland immediately, all are recovering well on side wards according to a trust spokesperson.
The ward was given a deep clean and was then the all-clear by the infection control chief.
This C diff outbreak follows heavy criticism for the trust in a Healthcare Commission report last month which revealed that a catalogue of errors allowed the bug to thrive and led to 90 deaths.
Figures show that at the trust a total of 345 people have died and 1,100 were infected across two years as a result of Clostridium difficile.
It has been stressed by trust officials that the outbreak was identified quickly and police. Health and safety officials continue to investigate patient care at the trust.