Virus outbreak was 'not preventable'

3:00pm Thursday 20th November 2008

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AN outbreak of a sickness bug at a Wiltshire community hospital could not have been prevented but there are still lessons to be learned, according to a report issued to health bosses this week.

Two wards at Chippenham Community Hospital in Rowden Hill were shut for a combined total of 17 days following outbreaks of the norovirus in August and September.

The results of an investigation, detailed in a matrons’ report to the Wiltshire Primary Care Trust board on Tuesday, revealed 10 patients and eight staff were affected during the first outbreak on the Beech Ward on August 15. A month later three patients were struck down by the virus on the Rowan ward.

The first outbreak resulted from an infected patient being brought into the hospital by ambulance after being transferred from the Great Western Hospital in Swindon.

The report said paramedics had “reasonably thought” the patient was suffering from travel sickness. A cause has not been established for the second outbreak.

A Root Cause Analysis report, which has to be compiled following a viral outbreak, said the first outbreak could not have been prevented but staff had missed opportunities to collect specimens for analysis. An RCA is still being compiled for the second outbreak.

The report added: “Some weaknesses in reporting were identified. Awareness has been raised of the importance of informing the matron immediately if two or more patients develop symptoms.”

The matrons’ report also outlined measures being taken to keep wards at Wiltshire hospitals cleaner and infection-free.

A de-cluttering exercise was carried out over the summer, to ensure staff could clean thoroughly. As part of this initiative, visitors were asked not to bring in flowers or fruit for patients.

The report also outlined the new cleaning regime which sees patients’ washbasins and toilets cleaned three times a day, with patients’ tables cleaned after every meal and the bed area cleaned every day.

*The PCT, now called NHS Wiltshire, also heard how there were no cases of MRSA at the major hospitals in Bath, Swindon and Salisbury in September - the latest figures to be compiled.

But there were 23 cases of the superbug c.difficile at the RUH last month, compared to 11 reported by the Swindon and Marlborough NHS Trust and two by the Salisbury Foundation Trust.