Current legislation is failing to support victims of healthcare-acquired infections such as MRSA, as it is difficult to prove such cases in court

Every day the press is littered with stories of deaths and serious illnesses caused by healthcare-acquired infections (HCAIs). The stream of tragedy seems endless. You would think that these deserving victims would be able to rely on the law for redress, but this rarely proves to be the case. We read articles and hear talk about the possibilities of civil or criminal proceedings being brought by HCAI victims. In practice, however, only a small number of cases proceed to court. Patients are usually left with no meaningful redress, despite the fact that in many cases the infection could have been prevented by measures as simple as hand-washing.