New Figures Reveal Concerns Over Illnesses

The NHS and health authorities must continue to improve the way that hospital-acquired infections are managed and tackled following the release of concerning new data, medical negligence lawyers at Irwin Mitchell have urged.

New figures reported by the Daily Mail have revealed that the number of hospital-acquired infections, which includes bugs such as norovirus, E.coli, MRSA and Clostridium difficile, recorded has grown from 22,488 to 42,712 in the past two years.

The release of the findings from the NHS Information Centre has come after concerns were raised in relation to the number of suspect norovirus outbreaks in hospitals across the UK over recent weeks.

However, the government has stated that the apparent rise in infections was misleading, as reporting improvements mean that more efforts are being made to put a spotlight on issues which previously would have been “swept under the carpet”.

Irwin Mitchell’s medical negligence specialists act for those who have suffered serious illness after contracting infections such as MRSA and Clostridium difficile in hospitals, as well as the families of those whose lives have been ruined by such problems.

Auriana Griffiths, a Partner and medical law expert at the firm’s London office, said: “Patients expect to be safe from potential infection while in hospital but unfortunately cases of hospital-acquired illness are not uncommon.

“Unfortunately, we also see many cases when such problems emerge as a result of errors in treatment or a failure to follow infection control guidelines.

“While it is welcome to see that reporting of issues has improved, it is vital that health authorities use such information to learn lessons from past problems and reduce the number of hospital-acquired infections in the future.

“Such efforts will hopefully mean that a reduction in cases will be seen in the long term.”