Widow lodges complaint against Waterford Hospital

A Co Waterford woman has lodged a formal complaint against Waterford Regional Hospital under the 1947 Health Act.

Teresa Graham, a member of support group "MRSA and Families", has lodged the complaint at Tramore Garda Station.

Ms Graham's husband, who died in October 2004, contracted MRSA while a patient at Waterford Regional Hospital.

She said today that she was lodging the complaint because of the Health Service Executive's admission that it cannot guarantee the implementation of its own guidelines on preventing the spread of MRSA.

"Our legal advisors tell us that it appears, under the 1947 Health Act, that is actually a criminal offence to allow the spread of infection once you know that a source of infection is there," she said.