MEDICS could have stopped three patients contracting a life-threatening heart infection if they had acted earlier, a report has claimed.

Eleven heart valve patients at City Hospital became ill and five died after being infected by the staphylococcus epidermis bacteria.

A report into the outbreak seen by the Post reveals that the problem could have been detected on May 23 last year – nearly two months before doctors raised the alarm.

FULL STORY: Could Nottingham hospital have acted earlier to stop heart infection outbreak?

And it said three of the cases, including one of a patient who died, could have been avoided if action had been taken at the time.

A full inquest into four of the five deaths is not expected to take place until November.

The authors of the report said they were "disturbed" by incidents where information about the infection was not passed on.

Dr Stephen Fowlie, Nottingham University Hospitals Trust's medical director, said officials "deeply regret" that three people got the infection after it could have been detected. But he said: "We have learned from this tragedy."