Government tells public to blow whistle on NHS hygiene failures

Published on Monday 9 March 2009 08:51

HOSPITAL patients and visitors are being told to turn whistle-blowers as part of a new crackdown on superbugs.

The Scottish Government today announced an organisation dedicated to tackling bugs like MRSA and C.diff and said members of the public would be encouraged to report hygiene risks direct to them instead of the NHS.

The move follows a consultation last year and it is hoped the further threat of random inspections will lead to a rise in cleanliness standards in acute hospitals.

Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said the new initiative would benefit from investment of more than 1 million a year and was key to Holyrood's commitment to getting on top of superbugs.

She said: "We have put in place a comprehensive package of measures, including boosting spending by 260 per cent, but it's crucial that we – and more importantly the public – are assured that this work is delivering the high standards everyone expects.

"The Care Environment Inspectorate's stringent inspection regime will do just that."

While the move is in response to the C.diff outbreak at Vale of Leven Hospital in 2007 which killed 18 people, NHS Lothian has not been immune to problems with superbugs in the past.

In 2006, 40 people in the Lothians lost their lives as a result of C.diff, but stringent measures put in place since have seen rates of the bug – and the number of MRSA cases – drop significantly.

Handwashing guidelines are adhered to more stringently and nurse wardens in hospitals have also led to a rise in standards. MRSA has since fallen by a quarter, while C.diff continues to drop steadily. Junior doctors were also told to stop naming C.diff as a factor on death certificates unless they were absolutely sure it was to blame.

Ms Sturgeon said the appointment of a "superbug supremo" to lead the new organisation would also have a positive impact on figures.

She said: "The appointment of a chief inspector is key to making the inspectorate a success. With the right person at the helm, offering strong leadership, I'm confident that the inspectorate will ensure all boards meet the highest possible standards."

Under the scheme every acute hospital – which in Lothian means the ERI, the Western General and St John's Hospital in Livingston – will receive at least one planned and one random visit in a three-year period, when waste management systems, building fabric, standards of equipment, visitor arrangements and infection control will be checked.

Depending on past records, complaints and inspection success, the frequency of inspection could increase.

&#149 www.scotland.gov.uk

&#149 www.nhslothian.scot.nhs.uk