NDP Health Critic France Gélinas called the McGuinty government’s new C. difficile reporting system reactive and deeply flawed.

“The emphasis of the whole plan is on controlling the outbreaks. It doesn’t require reporting of deaths, it doesn’t focus on preventing C. difficile outbreaks from happening in the first place, and it has no clear guidelines for public communication. There is very little new action, investment or consideration on how to prevent infections and outbreaks in the first place,” said Gélinas

“The capacity of the system to identify outbreaks is hampered by its failure to include numbers and rates of deaths – crucial information that has helped Quebec and other jurisdictions control the infection,” said Gélinas.

Gélinas also said that there is no proactive communication strategy for informing the public of outbreaks. Hospitals are merely ‘encouraged’ to post notices of outbreaks – there is no requirement for them to proactively make their staff, patients and communities aware of the danger of infection from an active outbreak.

The other main problem with the plan, according to Gélinas, is that it relies on the voluntary adoption of best practices by hospitals, while failing to adequately address barriers such as understaffing and lack of adequate facilities that make it difficult to undertake such practices.

Gelinas welcomed the addition of 66 infection control practitioners, but said that unless the McGuinty government addresses underlying issues of overcrowded emergency rooms, lack of private patient rooms, and overburdened cleaning staff, their presence may not make much difference.

“As Dr. Michael Gardem’s report on Joseph Brant Hospital makes clear, the lack of housekeeping staff, infection monitoring personnel and space to safely house patients as well as the overuse of antibiotics, are often the core causes of C. difficile outbreaks. Education and awareness about hand-washing and other best practices will only help if hospitals have the staffing and space to implement such practices,” said Gélinas.