Explanation to relatives on CDI death
Vale of Leven Inquiry · The Vale of Leven Hospital Inquiry Report · Issued 24 November 2014 · Addressed to: NHS Health Boards (Scotland)
Source — verbatim from the inquiry
●Inquiry recommendation
Health boards should ensure that if a patient dies with CDI either as a cause of death or as a condition contributing to the death, relatives are provided with a clear explanation.
Vale of Leven Inquiry, The Vale of Leven Hospital Inquiry Report · 24 Nov 2014 Source PDF →
Published evidence summary
Publicly available evidence relating to this recommendation:
- The Scottish Government's response emphasised person-centred care, including ensuring families receive clear explanations when CDI is a cause of or contributes to death. The 'What Matters to You?' approach supports staff in communicating sensitively with bereaved families.
- The Health and Social Care Standards require that patients and families have sufficient knowledge and understanding of their health care, including information about outcomes and causes of death (Health and Social Care Standards (https://www.gov.scot/publications/health-social-care-standards-support-life/)).
- The Charter of Patient Rights and Responsibilities (revised June 2022) supports the right to clear information and explanation about care and outcomes.
Response — verbatim from government
●Scottish Government
Section 4.2 of the Scottish Government's response emphasizes person-centred care, with a key aim to ensure people have sufficient knowledge and understanding of their health care. The "Must Do with Me" elements of person-centred care include ensuring people receive the information they need and personalized contact, with services organized around their needs. This framework supports providing clear explanations to relatives, particularly when a patient dies with CDI.
Scottish Government · 18 Jun 2015 Written response →
Evidence trail — what's actually happened since
- 1 Mar 2021 · Scottish Government Oversight Board QEUH Oversight Board found that Duty of Candour was not formally activated for any of the specific infection instances at QEUH despite deaths of children linked to hospital environment. This directly contradicts Vale of Leven recommendation for clear explanations to families about infection-related deaths. View source → limited_progress
- 1 Apr 2018 · Scottish Government Statutory Duty of Candour established under Health (Tobacco Nicotine etc. and Care) (Scotland) Act 2016. Duty of Candour Procedure (Scotland) Regulations 2018 require organisations to inform families about safety incidents, apologise and provide explanations including when CDI contributes to death. View source → Good Progress
Each entry above links to a primary source — gov.uk written statement, consultation response document, or inspection report. The Index does not characterise government intent; it tracks what has been published.
How this page is built
Source and Response are verbatim from primary documents. The Evidence trail records published activity since — written statements, consultation outcomes, inspection findings, parliamentary references. The Index does not paraphrase or characterise intent; it tracks what has been published. Where the evidence is the absence of action (a missed deadline, a slipped timetable), that absence is documented from primary sources rather than inferred.
This recommendation's data is verified periodically against primary sources. The Index is monitored for staleness weekly.