'I almost lost a leg before NHS acted over superbug'
A PATIENT has slammed health bosses for taking action against a killer superbug only after his 'nightmare' hospital stay.
Doug Knight, 40, blamed filthy wards and shoddy working practices by nurses when he nearly lost his leg after he contracted MRSA while being treated at Queen Alexandra Hospital, Cosham.
And Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust has admitted that new measures introduced to tackle MRSA were brought in only after Mr Knight's stay.
As reported in The News, the trust recorded a 15 per cent drop in MRSA cases from April to December 2006, compared with the previous year.
Still recovering a year later, Mr Knight, from Fareham, said: 'It makes my blood boil that they only did something to tackle MRSA after what I went through – and now they are claiming credit for it themselves.
'They only implemented various things after the complaints I made.
'Even my surgeon was amazed at my treatment, and the MRSA made my recovery so much worse.
'I had to have a chunk taken out of my ankle to get rid of the MRSA, and could have lost my leg.
'But some of the things you can do to tackle MRSA are so unbelievably simple.'
Engineer Mr Knight went to QA after falling down a 16ft valve chamber on January 5, 2006, breaking his left leg and shattering his ankle joint into 20 pieces.
During his five-week stay he endured dirty toilets, urine bottles left next to his bed and nurses taking up to 40 minutes to respond to his buzzer.
His disgusted wife Samantha had to clean filthy fans above his head herself.
Mr Knight had to go through five operations to finally get rid of the superbug.
Ursula Ward, chief executive of Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust, said in a letter to Mr Knight: 'I would like to add my sincere apologies for the level of care you received during your time at QAH.
'Despite several meetings with senior staff, who took all possible actions to expedite a satisfactory outcome, the care you received did not meet with our normal standard of nursing.
'As you will note several actions have been implemented as a result of your complaint and hopefully this will prevent the same sort of thing happening again.'
Trust spokeswoman Pat Forsyth told The News: 'Our written response to Mr Knight's complaints clearly sets out the many, continual improvements being made in our hospitals, both as a result of his complaint and as part of our normal programmes of service improvement.'
THE ACTION TAKEN
Since Doug Knight's care on D1 and D3 wards at QA Hospital, Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust has implemented the following improvements:
Increase in staffing levels – with the situation 'under review';
All fans on D ward have been cleaned and the issue was highlighted on the whole unit, including posters, flyers and weekly communication sheets;
All staff are aware of the procedure for using and storing fans;
The trust has provided additional infection control training for staff;
Alcohol gel dispensers are checked every day;
Posters are displayed asking visitors to apply hand gel as directed;
Instructions are displayed near the gel dispensers;
Monthly quality control 'walkarounds' with the ward manager;
Staff are reminded to ensure clinical areas are clean and to report areas of concern to the nurse in charge of the ward.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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