Inspectors to fight hospital bugs

Outbreaks of C.diff have been reported in hospitals across Scotland

A new team of inspectors is to be formed to combat hospital acquired infections.

The inspectors will have the power to go into any hospital in any health board area in Scotland to check on their anti-infection procedures.

Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said they would be a "key plank" in the battle against infections.

But Labour accused Ms Sturgeon of "complacency" over recent Clostridium difficile (C.diff) outbreaks.

Nine patients died of C.diff at the Vale of Level Hospital in Dunbartonshire earlier this year.

It is vital that the public have confidence in the quality of care and treatment they receive in Scottish hospitals Nicola Sturgeon Health secretary

Ms Sturgeon said one of the failings of previous anti-infection policy in hospitals was that it was too reliant on self-assessment.

She said that every hospital in the country would now be subject to random inspections to check they were meeting hygiene and infection control standards.

The health secretary also said she was committed to greatly increasing the number of single rooms in Scottish hospitals, which she described as a "great step forward in both infection control and patient dignity".

Ms Sturgeon added: "It is vital that the public have confidence in the quality of care and treatment they receive in Scottish hospitals. That is why we are absolutely committed to tackling the problem of avoidable infections in our hospitals.

"We have a robust £54m, three-year infection prevention and control programme in place and the latest reports on rates of C.diff and MRSA give grounds for optimism that this is now reaping rewards.

"I want to assure the public and further boost their confidence in the NHS by ensuring robust processes are in place to prevent avoidable infections. I will hold boards accountable to maintain the highest possible infection prevention and control standards at all times."

'Lagging behind'

She pledged to ensure that it was easier for patients and the public to find out how a local hospital had performed against cleanliness and hygiene standards.

The latest quarterly figures on healthcare-associated infections showed that, from April to June, the number of C.diff cases fell from 1,861 to 1,732 compared with the previous quarter, while the number of MRSA cases fell from 197 to 185.

But Labour's public health spokesman Dr Richard Simpson said: "Nicola Sturgeon has been consistently complacent about C.diff and patients throughout Scotland are paying the penalty."

Dr Simpson said that the target of a 30% reduction in C.diff cases set for 2011 by Ms Sturgeon has already been achieved in England, which has seen a 38% cut. The Scottish Government has said this figure is misleading because the statistics are calculated differently in England.

The Labour MSP added: "Patients in Scotland should not have to wait three years to see improvements in infection control that will still leave us lagging behind the rest of the UK.

"The Scottish Government's target lacks ambition and ought to be much tougher.

"We also need more transparent reporting so that people know what is happening in their own local hospital."