AN MSP who helped drive the campaign to have a public inquiry into the Clostridium difficile outbreak at the Vale of Leven Hospital choked back tears in Parliament as she paid tribute to the families' "determination and dignity".

Jackie Baillie, the Dumbarton Labour MSP, raised the issue of compensation to those affected by the outbreak, which was a factor in the death of 34 people between January 1, 2007, to December 31, 2008.

She said: "The cost of the inquiry is in excess of £10 million but the offer of compensation to the families, the victims of all of this, is about £1 million.

"Although the families are solely motivated by the desire to ensure that this doesn't happen to anybody else in Scotland, I cannot help but feel that justice has not yet been done."

Inquiry chairman Lord MacLean found "serious personal and systemic failures", stating that patients at the hospital had been "badly let down" by people at different levels of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.

Health Secretary Shona Robison said: "These are very sensitive discussions but I have made very clear to the health board that I would expect them to be as helpful as they possibly can in their discussions with the families."