Nurses at Vale of Leven Hospital are seeking legal advice after being told they will be the first in Scotland to be questioned by police over an outbreak of a superbug.
Nurses at Vale of Leven Hospital are seeking legal advice after being told they will be the first in Scotland to be questioned by police over an outbreak of a superbug.
It is believed nursing staff at the West Dunbartonshire hospital will face "procedural" questions as part of an investigation launched by Strathclyde Police and the Health and Safety Executive in November last year after Clostridium Difficile (C Diff) was linked to the deaths of 18 people. Another 55 patients were affected by the outbreak between December 2007 and last June.
A report in the magazine Nursing Standard, published yesterday, revealed that nurses would be among the health professionals questioned as part of the probe.
Since this is the first police investigation of its kind to take place in Scotland, it is also understood to be the first time Scots nurses have been questioned in this way.
It is not clear how many members of the nursing staff will be questioned by officers. However a source, at the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) said she believed the questions would be "procedural" rather than based on individual actions on any given day.
Norman Provan, of RCN Scotland, said: "As this is a very difficult time for staff in the Vale of Leven, we are offering support to all our members. For those who are asked to be interviewed by police, we are making arrangements for them to meet with our legal advisers prior to being interviewed. We are also encouraging any of our members with concerns about the investigation to get in touch with their local RCN Scotland officer."
An independent report into the outbreak was published last summer, outlining a litany of hygiene failures at Vale of Leven. Senior managers at the hospital could face criminal charges.
A total of 16 police officers are investigating the outbreak after the force set up a major incident room at Dumbarton police station. The Health and Safety Executive has six members of staff working on a separate investigation.
Victims' relatives have called for a public inquiry into the Vale of Leven deaths but Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon has said she is reluctant to launch such an inquiry while a police probe is ongoing.
A spokeswoman for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said the health board was co-operating fully with the investigation and was offering support to staff. She added: "This police inquiry is not an unexpected development as it has been stated publicly for some time that the police and procurator-fiscal consideration over the outbreak would involve an inquiry and subsequent report to establish if there are any grounds for further actions including consideration of any ensuing criminal proceedings."
A spokeswoman for Strathclyde Police said the force would not comment on the exact roles of those to be questioned by officers. However, she added it was "logical" that nurses would be a part of any investigation.
"We will be looking into the circumstances surrounding the deaths of a number of individuals within the Vale of Leven Hospital," she added. "This inquiry will be undertaken jointly with the Health and Safety Executive and the findings reported to the Crown. The purpose of this is to carry out a full enquiry into all of the circumstances surrounding a number of deaths linked to the C Diff virus."
The Scottish Government announced new rules this week which will compel health boards to monitor hospital bug infections more closely.
