MSP calls for superbug tsar to fight hospital acquired infections

Published on Friday 6 March 2009 21:02

LABOUR has proposed creating a superbug tsar to tackle the issue of hospital acquired infections such as Clostridium difficile and MRSA.

Jackie Baillie, MSP, announced yesterday that she intends to bring forward a private members bill to create a Superbug Commissioner to lead Scotland's fight against infection.

The proposal comes on the back of crisis at the Vale of Leven Hospital in Ms Baillie's Dumbarton constituency where at least 18 people are thought to have died after acquiring C diff.

The policy has been welcomed by families of the Vale of Leven victims as well as Scotland's leading microbiologist Hugh Pennington, who helped draw up a 15-point superbug action plan for Ms Baillie to present to the Scottish Parliament.

Professor Pennington said: "We need somebody to drive through the changes that are needed. We do not have a focal point, but a lot of organisations dealing with this problem."

He added that major changes were needed including a building programme of isolation wards and warned that if plans were not put down in advance then Scotland and the UK could be facing a "major catastrophe".

But doubts have been raised about the extra cost of a new post at a time when the public sector is having to find savings.

And even nurses leaders warned against creating a new layer of bureaucracy which failed to address the issue.

Theresa Fyffe, from the Royal College of Nurses Scotland, welcomed the idea but said: "We have got to avoid creating a new layer of something that adds little value."

Ms Baillie has asked the SNP Scottish Government to take up the idea, but insisted she will bring forward a private members bill if they do not.

"The appointment of an independent commissioner would help prevent another Vale of Leven happening again," she said.

"We need somebody who can offer independent advice, co-ordinate action and drive progress against infections."