Hospitals with the most superbug cases named and shamed

Published on Tuesday 30 June 2009 22:03

SCOTLAND's worst-performing hospitals in the battle against one of the most dangerous superbugs have been revealed by ministers – with patients in the North-east potentially at the highest risk.

Aberdeen Royal Infirmary has topped the list with 438 cases of Clostrium difficile (C diff) between May 2008 and May 2009, according to a written answer to Labour MSP Jackie Baillie.

Another Aberdeen hospital, Woodend, came third with 205 cases of C diff.

Stirling Royal Infirmary was second with 206 cases, fourth was Edinburgh Royal Infirmary with 323 and fifth Ninewells in Dundee with 199 cases.

The figures have triggered demands that hit squads are sent in by the Scottish Government to turn around hospitals where patients are most exposed.

Last night, officials at NHS Grampian defended the records of their hospitals, while admitting they have five new cases of C diff. A spokesman said: "NHS Grampian traditionally sends high levels of samples to the laboratories for testing.

"Patient safety and the control of infection remains a top priority for NHS Grampian.

"We have robust infection control policies, procedures, structures and accountability arrangements in place."

Ms Baillie tabled the question due to a campaign she has been running for families of victims of a C diff outbreak in the Vale of Leven Hospital in her Dumbarton constituency.

In the period asked for, Vale of Leven registered 14 cases, which Ms Baillie suspects may be an underestimate.

"Every Scottish family has the right to feel confident that when someone they love goes into hospital they will be treated in clean and safe conditions," she said.

"These figures show that there are huge regional variations in the performance of Scottish hospitals against C diff."

She demanded the Scottish Government send in hit squads to tackle the problems in the worst-performing areas and hospitals.

"The Scottish Government need to take urgent action to identify why some health boards are failing to control infection as well as others."

However, ministers last night insisted that it was succeeding in tackling the problems of C diff.

Health secretary Nicola Sturgeon pointed out that cases in 2007-8 were 4,789 compared with 6,264 the year before – a drop of 23.5 per cent.

She said: "We are doing everything we can to tackle hospital infections.

"However, we're not complacent. That's why, as part of a wide range of initiatives, we have established a healthcare environment inspectorate to carry out random, unannounced inspections of hospitals to ensure they are meeting the highest possible standards.

"The chief inspector has just been appointed and inspections will begin later this year."

The answer also revealed that eight hospitals in Scotland had no cases of C diff at all in 2008-9. These included Adamson, St Andrew's Memorial, Randolph Wemys and Stratheden in Fife.

There were no cases in Jubilee in Grampian, Montfield in Shetland, Ashludie in Tayside and St Brendan's in the Western Isles.

However, there was concern the figures could be misleading, because they did not reflect the number of patients who went through the hospitals that year.