Health chiefs rapped over Fife hospital secrecy

The public health minister has criticised the way information was released about a new strain of the bacterial infection clostridium difficile.

Health Protection Scotland (HPS) “could have been more proactive” when it revealed last week that three hospital patients died after contracting a new strain, Michael Matheson said at Holyrood.

HPS did not disclose the name of the hospitals, or NHS board, due to patient confidentiality.

NHS Fife later confirmed speculation that it was the board in question but still refuses to identify the hospitals.

Mr Matheson said: “When it comes to these types of issues there is always the potential for partial information to be misinterpreted as though there is a desire to try to withhold information,” he said.

“I think on reflection it is very clear that Health Protection Scotland could have been more proactive in the information that they made available from the outset to give public assurance, while at the same time balancing that with patient confidentiality.”