By Stewart Ross

A FIFE councillor has been laid low by a mystery virus after a brief visit to Kirkcaldy’s Victoria Hospital—and he has no doubt that an MRSA-type superbug is to blame.

Wullie Leggatt (46) has dropped stones in weight, his muscles have wasted away, his legs have swollen up, his breathing has been affected, but growing stronger by the moment is his anger.

The Burntisland independent councillor and former soldier spent only a few hours in the Victoria for a minor procedure six weeks ago, after which problems started.

“About four days later my whole body started collapsing,” said Mr Leggatt.

“My legs swelled to three times the size and were covered in bruising. After a week, I couldn’t breathe properly as I was developing fluid in the lungs and the pain was intense.”

His state was so poor he was taken by ambulance to Queen Margaret Hospital, Dunfermline where he was given antibiotics.

Sent home again, his condition worsened and after speaking to NHS 24, he was wheeled back into the Victoria where he was given large doses of penicillin.

“Nothing has put me on my back before, not even meningitis when I was child,” he said.

“I am absolutely convinced that what caused this is cleanliness. Somewhere down the line the procedures are wrong.”

Mr Leggatt has nothing but fulsome praise and high regard for the NHS staff he has encountered, but says one doctor actually stated that he must had picked up “a bug” in the Victoria.

“Since this has happened, several people have told me that they have similar stories, whilst nurses themselves have told me that it’s an issue that has to be brought up,” he continued.

“For five weeks I couldn’t walk unaided or even eat properly, but getting a clear decision from a doctor is like trying to get a straight answer from a politician!

“Another issue, of course, is that whilst I have been given appointments to see vascular and respiratory specialists, these are weeks away—so much for Labour’s miracle NHS.”

Mr Leggatt says he is grateful for all those who have helped, especially his wife Ros, who has shouldered some of his constituency burdens, and the officers of Fife Council for being so understanding.

“I have no problems whatsoever with the staff of the Vic, but I’m afraid that cleanliness has to be questioned,” he said.

In response, Dr Frances Elliot, medical director of NHS Fife, said, “The Infection Control Service in NHS Fife, which liaises closely with the laboratories and clinical departments, does not have any record of MRSA cases being reported as a result of patients having been treated as a day case in NHS Fife.

“As far as Mr Leggatt’s individual circumstances are concerned, he is clearly being referred for appropriate diagnosis and treatment.

“NHS Fife takes cleanliness very seriously. We meet the NHS national cleaning specifications in the day bed area. We regularly audit cleanliness against those specifications.

“I would be more than happy to discuss any individual concerns with Mr Leggatt directly,” Dr Elliot added.