A SUPERBUG outbreak has left a ward at Ipswich Hospital closed to new admissions today.Seven elderly patients in Grundisburgh Ward have developed the highly contagious infection, Clostridium difficile (C-diff), within the last four weeks.

A SUPERBUG outbreak has left a ward at Ipswich Hospital closed to new admissions today.

Seven elderly patients in Grundisburgh Ward have developed the highly contagious infection, Clostridium difficile (C-diff), within the last four weeks.

As a result the ward closed its doors to new patients late last week and 16 patients remained on the 28-bed ward today.

The news is a blow for the hospital which has pledged to tackle infections and earlier this year was handed a notice to improve from the Healthcare Commission after breaching hygiene standards.

Today bosses at the hospital said everything possible was being done to prevention the infection spreading, and to establish exactly what had caused the outbreak.

Andrew Reed, chief executive, said: “The safety of patients and reducing the number of infections are our biggest priorities and we have seen the numbers of cases of C-diff within the hospital fall considerably in the past 12 months.

"We take each and every case of infection extremely seriously and once the investigation is complete we will share the findings widely.

“It is the number of infections in one month in one area which has prompted concern.”

Visiting hours on Grundisburgh Ward are extremely restricted today as a result of the outbreak and patients have been given telephone cards so that they can keep in touch with loved ones.

The decision to keep the ward closed to new admissions is being reviewed on a daily basis and the ward has been steam cleaned, disinfected and has extra cleaning in place.

Has your loved one been affected by the C-diff outbreak? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich IP4 1AN or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk.

Clostridium difficile

Clostridium difficile (C-diff) infections are usually caused by antibiotics.

Most cases usually happen in a healthcare environment, such as a hospital, or care home.

Older people are most at risk from infection, with the majority of cases (80 per cent) occurring in people over the age of 65.

Most people with a C-diff infection make a full recovery, however the infection can be fatal.

It is extremely contagious and is spread very easily.

In most cases C-diff infections can be prevented by ensuring good hygiene practices in healthcare environments.

SOURCE: NHS health encyclopaedia