Scottish Government
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C. Diff rates at record low
Rates of clostridium difficile are at their lowest since records began - down 38 per cent on the same period last year.
Today's figures from Health Protection Scotland show rates of MRSA have also dropped - down 15 per cent on last year.
Among the reports' findings are:
- C.diff rates are at their lowest level since monitoring began in 2006
- C.diff levels are down 38 per cent for January to March compared with the same period last year - a reduction from 1,861 cases to 1,152
- Compared with the previous quarter, C.diff levels are down 11 per cent - from 1,299 to 1,152.
- Although there have been 10 more MRSA cases in this quarter compared to last, rates are down 15.7 per cent compared to the same quarter last year - a drop from 198 to 167 cases.
Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said:
"I have always made clear that tackling so-called hospital superbugs is a priority - both for me and this government. It's vital to ensure that the public have confidence in the quality of NHS hospital care.
"I know that many people are concerned about the prevalence of C.diff in our hospitals and I share their concerns. That's why we have taken swift and radical action to drive down the rates of avoidable hospital infections.
"I believe today's reports give real cause for optimism. We're now seeing C.diff rates at their lowest since surveillance began - down 38 per cent on the same time last year.
"This shows that the strenuous efforts, and significant investment, being made by the government and NHS boards are beginning to reap rewards.
"But we're not complacent. Although we're making good progress, the challenge now is to build on this to eliminate all avoidable infections from our hospitals."
The Scottish Government is committed to reducing all staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia (including MRSA) by 30 per cent by 2010. The government's new target for C.diff is to reduce infections by 30 per cent by 2011 for over 65s.
The Scottish Government is investing £54 million (over three years) in a range of initiatives designed to tackle HAIs. These include a national MRSA screening programme, prudent prescribing of antibiotics, zero tolerance on non-compliance with hand hygiene procedures and a Healthcare Environment Inspectorate to carry out unannounced inspections of hospitals.
