Super bug victims sue State over lax hospital hygiene

UP to 50 people affected by the super bug MRSA are to sue the State on grounds they or their families were infected due to lax hygiene controls in hospitals.

If successful, the landmark case could spark a raft of claims and expose the Government to a potentially massive legal bill.

A well-known firm of Dublin solicitors, with wide experience in the area of medical litigation, informed the newly formed MRSA And Families action group yesterday that they will take either individual cases or a group action.

MRSA (methicillin-resistant staphylococus aureus) is a bacterium commonly found on the skin.

But it is also present in dirt, dust, mops and cloths in hospitals. MRSA can kill a patient if it enters into the bloodstream, especially if they are weakened by other illnesses.

A recent survey by British researchers Patient View revealed Ireland has the highest rate of MRSA infection in Europe, with an infection rate of 119.3 per million inhabitants over double that of second-placed Portugal.

Fianna Fáil deputy John McGuinness, who strongly backs the MRSA And Families campaign, yesterday confirmed that the organisation was supporting the legal route.

"We have twice asked to meet the Minister for Health and we've had no response either time.

"And our parliamentary questions have received no real answers as to the numbers infected," he said.

"The former health board areas won't release the figures.

"We think that the department are paralysed with fear about the possible consequences of this bug," he added.

British hospitals have faced a flood of claims over MRSA in recent years with over £2.6 million paid to patients or their families between 2000 and 2003. All were settled out of court.

Less than a fortnight ago, the Irish Society of Clinical Microbiologists (ISCM) sent a letter to the Tánaiste, the National Hospitals Office and the State Claims Agency criticising their "lack of substantial progress" on tackling hospital-acquired infections.

A spokesman for the Department of Health said yesterday that the Tánaiste intends meeting with the ISCM shortly and that tackling hospital-acquired infection is a priority issue for the HSE.