Scots hospital superbugs cost £183m a year

Published on Saturday 12 December 2009 19:14

LABOUR politicians yesterday called for immediate action to tackle the threat from superbug infections after it emerged that healthcare-associated infections cost Scottish hospitals £183 million a year to treat.

On average it costs an extra 2,105 to treat a patient with such an infection, according to figures disclosed in an answer to a parliamentary question lodged by North-East Scotland Labour MSP Marlyn Glen.

The figures, from 2007, reflect both the harm to patients and the consumption of healthcare resources.

Glen asked the Scottish Executive what the estimated cost was of treating a case of preventable healthcare-associated infection in hospital.

Health secretary Nicola Sturgeon answered: "The Scottish HAI Point Prevalence Survey (PPS) published in July 2007, estimated that, on average, it costs an additional 2,105 to treat a patient with a healthcare-associated infection (HAI) in an acute hospital and that the annual cost of HAI in acute hospitals in Scotland, in terms of both harm to patients and consumption of healthcare resources, is estimated to be around 183 million per year."

Labour's health spokeswoman, Jackie Baillie, called on ministers to bring forward a comprehensive programme to tackle hospital superbugs.

She said: "These figures clearly demonstrate that it would be far more cost-effective to prevent hospital acquired infections than spend 183m on treating them. I want to see action from the Scottish Government.

"Ministers should immediately implement Labour's 15-point plan for tackling hospital superbugs, which was drawn up with assistance from Britain's leading expert in infection control, Professor Hugh Pennington.

"Investing in an effective and comprehensive programme of measures to tackle hospital superbugs would improve safety for patients and free up millions of pounds for frontline services."

Labour's action plan includes introducing a healthcare associated infection Commissioner to develop best practice, the provision of isolation facilities for all Clostridium difficile/MRSA patients, and facilities for steam-cleaning of beds and curtains in every hospital.

They also propose a target to reduce the rate of C.diff by 50 per cent by March 2011 and a robust monitoring system for the implementation of guidance at a board and hospital level.

Glen said: "The costs revealed in the treatment of hospital superbugs such as C difficile and MRSA show that their prevention is everyone's business – all hospital staff, patients and their visitors."

The Clostridium difficile superbug was listed as the main cause of death in 248 patients in Scotland in 2008 –- up from 220 the previous year.

Earlier this year, two wards at Dr Gray's Hospital, in Elgin, Moray, were closed to new patients after it was linked to the deaths of two patients.