MRSA, Mersa, Staph, Staff Infection, Treatment & Symptoms

Jewish quietly drops suit against infection lawyers

Jewish quietly drops suit against lawyers | courier-journal.com | The Courier-Journal.

Seeking to defend Jewish Hospital’s reputation, officials with its parent company struck back in 2007 against two lawyers who had filed, and later dropped, nearly 100 lawsuits alleging unsanitary practices at the hospital led to dangerous patient infections. In an unusual move, Jewish filed its own suit against the lawyers, which spokesman Jeff Polson vowed at the time would “hold the plaintiffs’ attorneys accountable for the false allegations levied against our organization” and “publicly defend our quality of care.” But Jewish Hospital & St. Mary’s HealthCare has quietly dropped that suit against trial lawyers Joe White and Mike O’Connell, now the Jefferson County attorney, without collecting any damages or an apology from either lawyer.

Lehigh Valley, PA Local News - lehighvalleylive.com

Lehigh Valley, PA Local News - lehighvalleylive.com.

Northampton County and its prison health contractor, PrimeCare Medical Inc., have been sued 37 times since 2007 by prisoners alleging the deplorable conditions and delays in medical treatment led them to contract methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, court records say. The federal lawsuits against the county's correctional facility far outnumber those of the surrounding counties. Since 2007, Bucks County has been sued once for a MRSA-related case and Lehigh County has been sued three times, officials said.

Nurse sues over MRSA

Nurse sues over flesh-eating bug - Shields Gazette.

A NURSE from South Tyneside is suing the NHS, claiming he contracted the flesh-eating bug MRSA in the hospital where he worked. Mark Thompson, from Cleadon Park, South Shields, is launching a £50,000 compensation bid after he contracted the infection while employed at Glasgow's Victoria Infirmary three years ago. The 45-year-old, who moved to the city in 2004, is preparing a legal case against Greater Glasgow and Clyde NHS, claiming his health has been destroyed.

Could hospitals face criminal charges after MRSA deaths?

Link: Could hospitals be charged for MRSA deaths? - Workplace Law Network - Workplace Law Network.

NHS staff have become the latest in line to be warned of the significance of the Corporate Manslaughter Act, which came into force on 6 April 2008. In an NHS Confederation event, Justice Minister Maria Eagle described how organisations that owed a duty of care to those killed could be found guilty of an offence under the Act – and said that this could even possibly apply to where patients contract illnesses (such as MRSA) whilst in hospital.

Chelmsford Man seeks £300,000 in MRSA Lawsuit

Link: Man who suffered stroke after getting MRSA sues hospital for £300,000 - mirror.co.uk.

A man who had a massive stroke after getting the hospital superbug MRSA is suing for £300,000. After surgery for his brittle bone condition, Ryan Dibble, 48, was put on a ward with three patients who had the killer bug. He got it, needed more surgery and then had the stroke. He now cannot move, speak or swallow. The businessman from Chelmsford, Essex, was in London's National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in 2003. He is suing the hospital's NHS trust.

Ireland faces potential £500m MRSA compensation bill

Link: ireland.com - The Irish Times - Fri, Jun 20, 2008 - State may face €500m bill from MRSA legal claims, agency says.

THE STATE could face a potential liability of €500 million relating to legal claims from people infected by the MRSA hospital superbug, the State Claims Agency has said. The agency estimated that if there were "an adverse court finding" in a claim for damages in an MRSA case, the State could face up to 1,500 claims, where the liabilities, including legal costs, could reach €500 million. Ciarán Breen, director of the agency, told the Dáil Committee of Public Accounts that it was handling "a relatively small number" of MRSA legal cases, but that it was aware of one legal firm that was "building up" a class action-type lawsuit on MRSA. Mr Breen said the claims agency was handling about 100 claims relating to the hospital bug.

Ex prisoner files MRSA lawsuit

Link: Nation & World | Former King County Jail inmate files civil-rights lawsuit after contracting MRSA behind bars | Seattle Times Newspaper.

A former King County Jail inmate has filed a federal civil-rights lawsuit against the King County Jail after he contracted an antibiotic-resistant infection while behind bars. Matthew Wisecarver alleges that unsanitary conditions in the jail in May 2007 resulted in his being infected with Methecillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, that required him to be hospitalized after his release. Wisecarver, 41, who has a history of drug and domestic-violence arrests, is seeking to have the lawsuit certified as a class-action. MRSA is a highly infectious bacteria that does not respond to many commonly used antibiotics. At least one inmate, Patrick Harrington, died in 2004 as a result of an untreated infection. An autopsy showed MRSA was present in his wounds.

MRSA lawsuits are minefield warns Doctor

Link: MRSA minefield - Scotsman.com News.

Lady Clark's judgment allowing Elizabeth Miller to sue the NHS in Scotland following her hospital-acquired MRSA infection (your report, 15 May) has far-reaching implications for healthcare workers and the population as a whole. While the negligent spread of any contagious organism is a legitimate reason for redress, the vast majority of cases of MRSA occur for the same reasons that any infectious organism can spread. Bacterial, viral, fungal and other infections surround us perpetually. Community-acquired bacterial chest infections and their sequelae are common reasons for hospital admissions. MRSA is one variant of many species of Staphylococcus and people can often carry MRSA on their skin or in their nose with no problems. For most people infected with MRSA appropriate antibiotic treatment and good care will cure the infection. In a few people with other severe illnesses infection with MRSA, as with any bacteria, can have severe consequences. If patients are to be allowed to sue the NHS if they contract MRSA in a hospital, presumably they will be able to sue if they develop a streptococcal pneumonia, E coli urinary tract infection, staphylococcal wound infection, etc, in a hospital setting. Will they also be able to sue "the community" if they develop any of these infections out of hospital? For Cameron Fyfe to suggest the NHS in Scotland needs the threat of litigation to "clean up the hospitals" is insulting to health service staff. (DR) JAMES WALKER

Hospital pays six-figure MRSA compensation to patient

Link: Hospital pays six-figure sum to MRSA victim - Latest News, Health - Independent.ie.

THE first MRSA compensation payout in Irish history has been awarded after a patient became infected by a healthcare worker in a top Dublin hospital. The landmark case, which was settled out of court last week, has resulted in a massive six-figure payout to a young man who became infected in 2004 after a routine operation. The identity of the hospital -- which is a public facility in the capital -- has not been disclosed according to the terms of the settlement, with the man infected by the superbug also remaining unidentified in order to protect his anonymity. But with the case being the first successful MRSA compensation claim in Irish history, patient campaigners now believe the door has been opened for hundreds more hospital infection victims to receive compensation.

MRSA legal action over teenager's death

Link: Parents to sue over teenager's MRSA death - Telegraph.

A family has vowed to sue the "filthy" hospital where their teenage daughter died after contracting the ''superbug'' MRSA. Samantha Fallon, 17, was admitted to hospital suffering from a virus and had a bone marrow sample taken from her hip. Days later she was crippled with back pain and suffered a series of fits before eventually succumbing to multiple organ failure. Keith and Sue Fallon claim their daughter was put in an "overcrowded" general ward and not a specialist one because of a lack of beds at University Hospital, North Staffordshire.

MRSA legal test case can go ahead

Link: BBC NEWS | Scotland | Glasgow, Lanarkshire and West | Superbug test case can go ahead.

A Lanarkshire grandmother who contracted the MRSA superbug has been given the go ahead to bring a test case against an NHS board. Elizabeth Miller, 71, from Kilsyth, said she was "overjoyed" that a legal challenge by Greater Glasgow NHS Board to her case had been dismissed. Judge Lady Clark ruled a full hearing into the £30,000 claim should be held. The case is believed to be the first of its kind in the UK and could lead to scores of others, if it succeeds. Mrs Miller contracted the MRSA bug in 2001 when she was recovering from a heart operation at Glasgow's Royal Infirmary. I just feel my life will never be the same again. Elizabeth Miller She claims it has turned her life upside down.

IDSA under scrutiny

Link: Worrisome Implications -- -- Courant.com.

The Infectious Diseases Society of America is in charge of a lot more than Lyme disease [Connecticut section, May 2, "Agreement Is Reached On Lyme Disease"]. It also sets guidelines for the treatment of avian flu, tuberculosis, AIDS, MRSA, strep and hepatitis. Doesn't it concern the general public that this organization, which has major influence on medical treatment and insurance coverage, has been implicated in suppressing medical evidence for financial reasons and that its ethics have been called into question? Would the Infectious Diseases Society have signed a settlement with state Attorney General Richard Blumenthal unless not reaching such an agreement would put it at risk of class-action lawsuits, punitive damages, having to give back money that was illegally received and wrongful death lawsuits? So for all of you who are not outraged, this is not just about Lyme disease. This is about sacrificing human life for cash. Your disease might be next.

Basildon Man Threatens MRSA Legal Action

Link: Ill Sue Hospital Over Mrsa (from Echo).

A MAN says he will take legal action against Basildon Hospital after catching MRSA. Pietre Sannister, 63, was caring for his sick step-mum when he suffered a nervous breakdown. He was taken into hospital and five weeks later he fell out of bed and broke his hip, which needed to be operated on. It was then he believes he caught the flesh-eating bug, which left a gaping "hole" in his left heel. Mr Sannister, of Stansfield Road, Benfleet, has been out of hospital for seven months, but still cannot walk. His weight has dropped from 13 stone to eight stone. He also claims he caught the superbug C.diff during his nine-month stay at Basildon hospital and the neighbouring Mental Health Unit. Mr Sannister has now consulted solicitors with a view to claiming compensation. advertisement He said: "I kept on coming out with sores, from the MRSA, on my feet.

The rising number of MRSA legal cases

Link: Hospitals: Infectious Diseases: 26 Feb 2008: Written answers (TheyWorkForYou.com).

Andrew Lansley (South Cambridgeshire, Conservative) | Hansard source

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many claims relating to healthcare associated infections the NHS Litigation Authority has dealt with in each year since 1997.

Ann Keen (Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Health Services), Department of Health) | Hansard source

Not all claims related to health care associated infection (HCAI) can be identified. The following table shows those claims where methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and/or Clostridium difficile ( C. difficile) are regarded as one of the injuries.

Information on HCAI-related claims prior to 1999 is not available due to the coding systems in place at that time; which do not allow analysis for HCAIs.

Claims data by notification year (notified to trust) for claims where MRSA and/or C. Difficile are recorded as one of the injuries (as at 31 December 2007).

Number
Notification year	Open claims	Claims closed with no damages	Claims settled with damages	Total claims
1999-2000	0	1	1	2
2000-01	0	3	0	3
2001-02	0	2	8	10
2002-03	3	15	24	42
2003-04	4	34	28	66
2004-05	10	47	15	72
2005-06	35	50	12	97
2006-07	90	26	12	128
2007-08(1)	101	5	4	110
Total	243	180	107	530
(1) Denotes data to date for current period. Source: NHS Litigation Authority.

MRSA Victims deplore £5m payout to actress

Link: MRSA robbed me of my life too...but I didn’t get a penny! - icWales.

A GRANDMOTHER crippled by MRSA today hit out at the £5m record compensation given to actress Leslie Ash for contracting the same hospital superbug. Audrey Hughes, 86, says her life was destroyed by the superbug after picking it up in hospital following her hip operation – but she received no compensation. Today she described the payout to the former Men Behaving Badly star as “absolutely disgraceful”. Lawyers for Ms Ash defended the size of the NHS payout by London’s Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, where she picked up the bug following an operation for a broken leg. They said it was justified by her potential lost earnings in the TV and film world.

Glasgow legal action over MRSA

Link: Evening Times: News.

GLASGOW health chiefs today asked a judge to throw out a grandmother's compensation action - amid claims it could end up costing the health service millions of pounds. Elizabeth Miller, 71, contracted the superbug MRSA while recovering from a heart operation in Glasgow Royal Infirmary. And, in what's being seen as a test case, she wants £30,000 damages. advertisement Mrs Miller, of Kilsyth, claims she probably picked up the bug in the ward and blames staff for not washing their hands thoroughly. But Greater Glasgow NHS Board today told judge Lady Clark at the Court of Session in Edinburgh that the claims made by Mrs Miller were not detailed enough to put blame on them.

Government resists compensation claims over MRSA

Link: | News | News of the World.

THE government is refusing to pay compensation to victims of killer bugs such as MRSA. They will only fork out if the superbug was contracted as part of a wider hospital blunder—NOT if a patient picks it up on a dirty ward, the News of the World can reveal. That is because bugs are often carried on the skin, making negligence cases hard to prove. The move effectively pushes the blame on to the patient for contracting superbugs such as MRSA and C.diff—even though these infections are often associated with filthy conditions. In the past three years the government hasn't shelled out a penny to compensate people for picking up MRSA. And if a patient dies from it, their family get nothing. Tony Field, who runs pressure group MRSA Support, lost his case against Birmingham's University Hospital Trust after contracting the deadly bug seven years ago.

MRSA claims not easy to prove in court

Link: MRSA claims not easy to prove in court - icWales.

The impression given sometimes is that the NHS, both in England and here in Wales, faces huge numbers of claims for damages arising from patients acquiring such infections. But that is largely misleading, partly because making a successful claim is far from easy. Unfortunately, there aren’t necessarily any reliable statistics on the number of claims that are pursued, let alone those that succeed. Certainly, some successful claims have been brought. But such cases are not as common as one might imagine, and if the NHS had to start paying out compensation to the bulk of patients who actually contracted MRSA, the bill would be astronomical. In truth, there are many difficulties facing a patient who wishes to bring a claim. For one, it can be hard to show where the patient picked up the infection.

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MRSA victims failing to win compensation

Link: MRSA victims failing to win compensation.

Victims of MRSA are failing to win compensation because it’s hard to pin the blame on hospitals, Which? has learnt. The superbug is linked to more than 1,500 deaths a year and has left others severely ill or disabled. But figures obtained under the Freedom of Information Act show that less than a third of claims are successful. Lawyers say this is because it’s hard to prove where and when an infection starts. Compensation Since 2000, the NHS Litigation Authority (NHSLA) has ruled on 431 MRSA claims in England, but only 135 have resulted in compensation.

200 MRSA legal actions in Eire

Link: Gardai probe two MRSA deaths - National News, Frontpage - Independent.ie.

GARDAI are investigating the deaths of two people from the deadly hospital superbug after formal complaints from relatives of MRSA victims. It can also be revealed that hospitals are facing at least 200 legal actions as a result of MRSA deaths. Pressure to deal with the disease is now mounting, with at least 30 families requesting coroners to hold inquests into the deaths of relatives whom they believe died from MRSA-related causes. Health Minister Mary Harney has now asked hospitals to explain why they are not telling patients they have contracted the superbug MRSA. And she is also seeking an explanation as to why it is not being recorded as the cause of death on official documents such as death certificates. The increase in Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus among dialysis patients and a suspected outbreak of infectious bacteria in an infants' ward of a major hospital are some of the disclosures contained in internal hospital documents released to families campaigning against the spread of hospital-acquired infections.