I READ with interest Jane Lavender's splendid article, "Superbug death toll at hospital" (April 9), regarding the rates of infection of MRSA and Clostridium Difficile at the Royal Bolton Hospital, but reading the response from the chief executive of Bolton NHS Trust, David Fillingham, in his letter, "Top priority is to prevent infection" (April 14), I am amazed!
He cannot seriously think that the Bolton public are so naive to believe his figures are accurate.
I am aware first hand of the dangers of going into a general ward at the Royal Bolton Hospital as an old friend of mine went in during October, 2007, with a cut eye and never came out.
He contracted C-diff soon after admission and deteriorated painfully until, in February this year, he died.
The scenario is that you contact C-diff, you are then so weak with the constant diarrhoea that you are unable to feed yourself, the nurses are so understaffed and demoralised they can't feed you, the diarrhoea, combined with low food intake, means you can't move about, so that, in turn, leads to pneumonia.
I take it you have guessed what goes on the death certificate - pneumonia! It is no wonder no deaths have been attributed to C-diff.
Come on Mr Fillingham, don't treat us like mugs.
If my friend had not contracted C-diff, he would still be alive now, so how is that not the cause of death?
George Simpson Edgworth
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