Superbug kills war hero who survived three years as a PoW

12 April 2012

The family of a distinguished war veteran have criticised the hospital where he was infected by a killer bug.

Major Sam Weller - who survived three years as a prisoner of war - died after catching Clostridium Difficile following an operation on his hip. His relatives said he had been let down by the country he fought for.

Major Weller, 88, had surgery at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital but he developed an infection and was given a course of antibiotics.

Weeks later he died and an inquest was told the medicine had left him more vulnerable to catching the superbug.

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Fearless officer: Major Sam Weller, left, who was decorated for his bravery, is pictured with his brother Tony in 1947

Yesterday, his family criticised the hospital treatment he received and standards of hygiene on the wards. His son Martin, 59, a council planning officer, said: "He was a wonderful man who served his country well. He didn't deserve to die like this.

"Gloucestershire Royal Hospital has an appalling record for C. Diff and here is another tragic case. My father died in a lot of pain."

Mr Weller criticised the hospital's record on "infection control" which he said had been visible to him and his family.

He refused to go into details, but said he felt "let down" by those responsible for his father's care.

The major's wife of 50 years, Berthe, added that her husband had considered the ward to be "noisy and grubby".

Major Weller, who served in the Gloucestershire Regiment, was decorated for gallantry.

During the Korean War, when he was taken prisoner near the Chinese border, he was described as a "fearless and resolute officer".

The Major was admitted to hospital after slipping on the floor at home and fracturing his femur.

Major Weller in later years

The coroner told the inquest hearing in Gloucester that Major Weller probably would not have died if he had not been given the drugs following the operation.

The inquest heard how the medicine can alter bacteria in the bowel, making vulnerable patients more susceptible to contracting C. Diff. Surgeon Nadir Kalap said Major Weller was given a seven-day course of antibiotics to combat low blood pressure and signs of an infection.

A post-mortem examination by pathologist Dr John McCarthy revealed the primary cause of death was C. Diff with heart disease a contributing factor. He said: "It's known that patients treated with antibiotics are at most risk of developing C. Diff."

Summing up the case, Gloucestershire coroner Alan Crickmore said Major Weller would not have contracted the disease had he not had the antibiotics.

He recorded an accident verdict.

Martin Weller said his father, as he neared the end of the life, was in great deal of pain.

"It was difficult seeing him like that," he said. "As a family we are not seeking compensation.

"We are trying to prevent this sort of thing happening. The hospital needs to tighten up on procedures."

A spokesman for Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said it had been working hard over the past year to reduce rates of infection.

"We have been successful in our efforts and infection rates have fallen considerably," he said.

"However, we are not complacent and will continue to implement our wide-ranging action plan."

• Almost 56,000 vulnerable and elderly patients have been infected with C. Diff in the past year.

Between January and March alone, 15,592 caught the bug --an astonishing 22 per cent rise on the previous three months.

C.Diff, which is spread by dirty hands and bedding, is a bigger killer than MRSA. It claimed 2,247 lives in 2005 - a 69 per cent rise on the previous year.

It exists naturally in the stomachs of many healthy adults, where it is kept under control by 'friendly' bacteria.

Problems start if the balance of bacteria is disturbed, perhaps as a result of taking antibiotics for another infection.

Once the "friendly" bacteria are killed off, the C. Diff is able to multiply and produce the toxins which cause diarrhoea and, in the worst cases, a fatal infection of the abdomen.

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