Niagara Health System admits breached protocol

After battling a deadly C. difficile outbreak for months, the Niagara Health System has a new, and embarrassing, incident to deal with.

A patient at the Greater Niagara General Hospital was placed in room with a patient suffering diarrhea, one of the classic symptoms of C. difficile. The action was in direct contravention of standing orders for all NHS hospitals and protocols used to combat the spread of the deadly virus.

CEO Sue Matthews acknowledged the breach Monday, but could not explain why front-line staff continue to make these kinds of mistakes. Matthews said she has spoken to the family who originally complained, and says they’ve been very understanding.

There is no word yet on whether the Ministry of Health will get involved with any sort of follow up. The NHS has had more than 30 deaths across the system from outbreaks of C. difficile.