Husband loses wife and daughter to C.diff

A man whose wife and daughter died in the same London hospital after contracting Clostridium difficile has criticised hygiene standards at the trust.

Albert Ellam, 74, said that an elderly women was forced to soil her bed and dirty commodes were left unattended.

His daughter, Kim Pledger, 49, who was suffering from cancer, died at Whipps Cross Hospital on New Year's Day after contracting C.diff.

Four months later his wife, Jean, 74, died from the same highly contagious infection.

Today Mr Ellam was marching to Parliament to tell Health Secretary Alan Johnson that poor hospital hygiene had caused the death of his wife.

He said: "The Government needs to take control of this, I just want someone to take notice that so many people are getting sick."

Mr Ellam, of Chingford, said: "My wife was in the ward where two people already had C.diff and they put her in there, while the other woman was soiling her bed.

"I just couldn't believe it was happening, they even left commodes there after they had been used. It was so distressing to see what was going on in that hospital.

"My daughter's boyfriend saw one of the assistants drop a ladle on the floor and then use it again to serve soup. I have never had any explanations for what happened but frankly I don't want any. Nothing can excuse what happened.

"If my daughter hadn't had C.diff I would have had her a little bit longer, even though she had cancer. But there was no reason for my wife to die."

A hospital spokeswoman said they would look into the complaint as a matter of urgency but added that Mr Ellam had not taken up offers to make an official complaint.