Dunfermline East MSP Helen Eadie has reiterated her calls for a full public inquiry into C. diff in Scotland’s hospitals, only a day after the latest outbreak closed a ward in Queen Margaret Hospital.

And a fellow Fife MSP has said it was now time for urgent action following the second outbreak of the Clostridium difficile superbug at the hospital.

The Courier yesterday revealed four patients in a surgical ward at Queen Margaret Hospital had been confirmed as suffering from C. diff—a fifth case was suspected.

It follows on from a similar outbreak in August when seven patients were treated in isolation after contracting C. diff while patients in a general medical ward.

Mrs Eadie spoke to The Courier shortly after a parliamentary debate where she said Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon declined to have a full public inquiry.

“My argument has always been that this is a matter of public interest,” she said.

Mrs Eadie said she felt the matter should be dealt with with much more urgency.

“It is not just with the latest incident at Queen Margaret, it is all over Scotland.”

“We have to try and get this sorted. The minister is being utterly complacent,” she added.

Mid Scotland and Fife Labour MSP Claire Baker said yesterday, “After the first outbreak last month we were told that lessons had been learned but with another outbreak only a matter of weeks later surely it’s now time for urgent action.”

She pledged to work alongside fellow Labour MSP Helen Eadie, to ensure NHS Fife were properly following infection control procedures.

“We’ve seen similar outbreaks in other hospitals across Scotland, with the SNP facing calls for a public inquiry following a number of deaths at the Vale of Leven hospital in Alexandria.

“The SNP can no longer resist calls for a public inquiry into these outbreaks to ensure lessons are properly learned and confidence restored in the NHS.”

By yesterday one patient suffering from the potentially fatal bug had been cleared, a spokesman for NHS Fife said, leaving three confirmed cases and one suspected still being treated in isolation.

Mrs Eadie also said she wanted to see C. diff registered on death certificates.

She said what concerned Labour health colleagues was reporting of the superbug.

“For example, say someone had died of pneumonia, somewhere down the pecking order of causes there may be C. diff—that should be on the death certificate.”

The MSP also wanted better procedures in hospitals to ensure visitors washed their hands or used gel before reaching bedsides.