AT LEAST 90 patients died from a deadly superbug in three Kent hospitals, a damning report has revealed.

The Healthcare Commission report into cases of Clostridium Difficile (C-diff) at the Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust between April 2004 and September 2006, found that as many as 1,170 patients were infected with the bug.

Police and the Health and Safety Executive are to investigate the matter in the light of the findings.

The shocking report came after an investigation was launched into two outbreaks between October 2005 and September 2006.

The report, which took just over a year to compile using hundreds of interviews with patients, relatives, staff and managers, found concerns consistently raised by staff and patients - including a shortage of nurses and poor care for patients - were not addressed.

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It found the trust failed to spot the first outbreak and was slow to react when the second outbreak occurred - it took four months from the start of the second outbreak for an isolation ward to be set up.

It also found 60 patients' deaths during the two outbreaks were "definitely" or "probably" caused by C-diff. A total of 345 patients who died at the trust's three hospitals in Maidstone, Tunbridge Wells and Pembury, from various causes had the infection.

Commission bosses have called for national lessons to be learnt from the investigation, including that C-diff is recognised as a serious condition.

Anna Walker, the commission's chief executive, said: "What happened to the patients at this trust was a tragedy. This report fully exposes the reasons for the tragedy, so that the same mistakes are never made again.

"I urge all trusts to heed the lessons of this report so that they can look patients in the eye and say that everything possible is being done to protect people from infection. That is the least that patients can expect."

The report found a catalogue of errors which led to two of the largest outbreaks nationally, including a high turnover of patients, which meant the time available to clean beds between patients was limited, and a shortage of nursing staff meant nurses were too rushed to clean their hands properly; empty and clean commodes; clean mattresses and equipment properly and wear appropriate gloves and aprons.

The commission also found many policies adopted for preventing and managing infection were out of date or not easily available to staff and that many staff could not attend infection control updates due to staff shortages.

It recommended that the NHS and Health Protection Agency agree clear and consistent arrangements for monitoring rates of infection.

Welcoming the recommendations, health bosses said lessons had been learnt and steps had already been taken to improve infection control.

Medical director Dr Malcolm Stewart said: "We are sorry about what happened and we are determined to continue to reduce levels of the infection locally."

Trust chairman James Lee added: "The trust accepts the recommendations and has already taken action on many of them. We have appointed a new chief executive (Glenn Douglas) who will ensure that the recommendations are fully implemented."