Thursday, 11 October, 2007
- 11 Oct 07, 04:41 PM
Clostridium difficile
The catalogue of failures over the pervasiveness of the in hospitals in the Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust is so damning as to be, potentially, the subject of criminal charges.
Appalling hygiene, patients left in their own excrement, food kept in clinical fridges, patients with c.difficile nursed alongside other patients - it's therefore no surprise that the Healthcare Commission described events as a "tragedy." There were 1,176 cases of the bug between 2004 and 2006, and the report estimates that 90 had died as a result.
We are also pursuing the story of Rose Gibb, the Trust's former Chief Executive - in charge throughout this time. Does she accept responsibility and did she get a payoff when she left?
If you or someone you know has had an experience of bacterial infection contracted inside a British hospital, we want to hear from you. And if you're a hospital worker who knows why this is happening, do let us know below.
Nobel prize
has won the for Literature, and I am about to go to her house to interview her for tonight's programme. In a body of work that so far spans more than sixty years she has explored the inner lives of women, but she repeatedly rejects the label of "feminist."
The Swedish Academy called her an "epicist of the female experience, who with scepticism, fire and visionary power has subjected a divided civilisation to scrutiny." As one of the generation who devoured I'm delighted to be speaking to her, both about the award and about her outspoken views to find out where her criticism is focussed now.
Why Democracy? Bolvia
And in the latest of our film series the Argentine journalist Rodrigo Vazquez travels in Bolivia with Evo Morales on his election campaign. He was elected the first indigenous President, almost forty years after the death of the revolutionary Che Guevara. His crackdown on cocaine production, with the help of the US government has united many indigenous people behind him. Will he foment an indigenous revolution?
Number Ten say that the Prime Minister will be watching this weekend's the Rugby World Cup semi-final at . As is well known he鈥檚 a keen fan of the game, having played in his youth and lost the sight in one eye after a Rugby injury. I actually sat in front of him during the England V Scotland semi-final of the . In order that I can show off a photo I have of this event I'm going to shamelessly borrow someone else's idea. (Well if Alistair Darling can do it...) Adapting a contest from Newsnight Political Panellist Daniel Finkelstein鈥檚 fantastic , I want to launch a 鈥淏rown and Me鈥 photo competition. Obviously this can鈥檛 be a real competition as we in for the time being. It will have to be a notional competition where everyone wins, even those who don鈥檛 take part. So saying where and when it was taken. The best will appear here*.
A remarkable new documentary from the 