By Steve Bargeton, political editor

HEALTH CHIEFS have been ordered to urgently review their procedures for dealing with the killer Clostridium difficile bug in the wake of one of the worst outbreaks in the UK.

It has now emerged that between December 2007 and the beginning of this month 54 cases were confirmed at the Vale of Leven Hospital in Dumbarton resulting in 16 deaths.

Yesterday in an emergency statement to the Scottish Parliament Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon ordered an independent inquiry into the outbreak there.

Describing the incident as “deeply concerning” she detailed a catalogue of failings at the hospital.

These included a lack of dedicated hand hygiene basins, commodes not fit for use, a lack of personal protective equipment like gloves and aprons and bed spacing which fell short of health and safety recommendations.

The minister has appointed a review team to carry out an independent investigation into the outbreak at Vale of Leven under Professor Cairns Smith, professor of public health at Aberdeen University, and including Dr Gabby Phillips, a consultant medical microbiologist at NHS Tayside.

Ms Sturgeon told MSPs that all hospitals have been told to take immediate action.

“Firstly, all infection control managers are being asked to review the own C. diff data over the last six months and to report their findings back to the Health Protection Scotland as soon as possible,” she said.

“Second, my officials have contacted all other (health) boards to check on their local surveillance systems to make sure that they are fit for purpose.

“It is vital that we make sure that these systems are able to detect any increase and that we look at linking up surveillance data with data on deaths.

“Third, Health Protection Scotland, in collaboration with my officials, is preparing new national guidance on C. difficile which will stipulate clear requirements for local surveillance monitoring and ensure consistency of approach.”

Ms Sturgeon said the safety of patients is paramount.

“I expect the highest standards of surveillance, infection control and care prevail everywhere in our NHS,” she said.