‘I was more worried about MRSA than his operation’

A WOMAN whose partner underwent major surgery last month said she was more worried about him contracting MRSA than the eight-hour operation.

And her worst fears were realised when a senior nurse at the Cork hospital confirmed that he had contracted the super bug.

The woman, who does not want to be identified, said her husband was admitted to the Mercy University Hospital just days after the first-ever National Hospital Hygiene Audit was published.

The 350-bed hospital was among the 54 hospitals included in the audit. Placed 22nd, it was one of 23 hospitals rated as “fair”.

The woman claimed that a swab taken before her partner’s operation confirmed he did not have MRSA. At the time a nurse explained to her that all patients about to undergo major surgery were tested to see if they already had the infection.

She also claimed that neither she nor her partner was warned about the risks of MRSA when he was admitted and felt more could have been done to minimise the spread of the infection.

Because her partner’s immune system had been weakened by his condition, she was concerned he would be vulnerable if exposed to the disease.

“I was worried sick about MRSA more than about his eight-hour operation. It was on my mind all the time,” she said.

She was also very critical of the standard of hygiene in the hospital.

“The room he was in was very old and I can appreciate there is not a whole lot they can do about that but they could have kept it clean,” she said.

The woman said she was afraid to complain while her partner was still a patient but he has now been discharged.

“The senior nurse was the only person I could talk to but I had not got the nerve to say: ‘Look your ward is dirty, get it cleaned!’”

The hospital’s deputy chief executive, Jim Corbett, said that he could not comment specifically about the case because the woman was not prepared to give him the details.

“Of course I am upset where services do not come up to standard but until the woman contacts me herself I cannot do anything for her,” he said.

Mr Corbett also said the hospital realised that hygiene standards needed to be improved and he was personally involved in ensuring that a much higher level of cleanliness was achieved and maintained.

The campaign group MRSA and Families believes every patient should be tested to see if they are carrying MRSA. Medical staff should also be tested to ensure they do not pass it to patients who are vulnerable post surgery.

Campaign spokeswoman Margaret Dawson said: “People do not expect to get seriously ill after having an operation but that is what is happening.”