Baby's family backs Star's demands

LUKE Day's family have today backed The Evening Star's drive for more information on MRSA at Ipswich Hospital.

The parents of the two-day-old, who died after contracting MRSA in the hospital's maternity unit, say they welcome the 20 questions put to hospital bosses by the Star yesterday.

Kevin Fenton, Luke's father, said: "I think it's brilliant. I think someone definitely needs to be pushing them for answers like this."

The questions tackled a range of issues from hand-washing to the recording of the superbug on death certificates - many of which were raised by concerned readers.

Julie Fenton, Kevin's mother, said: "I think if the hospital had come to Kevin and Glynis in the first place and said 'we are really sorry, we are going to do everything we can', then we might have been reassured.

"We might not have felt the need to come to the press if they'd been more open but I think we all feel like there are still so many unanswered questions."

Luke's death certificate initially had the cause of his death recorded as septicaemia and it was not until Kevin, of Bilney Road, Woodbridge, refused to sign it that MRSA was recorded on it.

Doctors told the Star last week that the cause of the MRSA may never be known but his mum Glynis says this is not enough.

She said: "We still don't understand what happened and there's still people going in there and finding MRSA. It just seems like they are doing too little too late."

Since the news of Luke's death was revealed cleanliness at Ipswich Hospital has come under the spotlight.

Two national newspapers and a TV station have undertaken swabs in the building and found high levels of MRSA.

The Star has also been inundated with calls from people telling their own experiences of dirty wards and poor hygiene at the hospital.

What would you like to ask the hospital about MRSA? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or send us an e-mail to eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk