Praise for hospital staff after Scottish superbug infections fall to record low

Published on Wednesday 6 July 2011 14:08

Praise for hospital staff after Scottish superbug infections fall to record low

Rates of both C.diff and MRSA in Scottish hospitals are now at their lowest ever levels, official figures have revealed.

The latest report published by Health Protection Scotland, for January to March 2011, shows Scotland has exceeded the target of a 50 per cent reduction in clostridium difficile rates for over-65s - delivering a 71 per cent decrease.

The extra target was set by health secretary Nicola Sturgeon in March 2010 after good progress was made on the official target of 30 per cent. Yesterday Ms Sturgeon said: "Today's figures clearly show that our strenuous efforts and zero tolerance approach to superbugs are reaping significant rewards.

"NHS boards have not only met the extra C.diff target I set - they have outdone it.

"I would like to congratulate them on all their hard work. There is no room for complacency and everyone must remain vigilant to ensure that case numbers continue to fall.

"Maintaining this progress will be challenging but it is essential that we do just that. Patients need to have confidence that they will receive top-quality care in our NHS."

In the over-65s, 355 new cases of C.diff were identified, 72 cases fewer than the previous quarter, and that compares with 640 cases in the same quarter last year - a decrease of 44.5 per cent.

In patients aged 15-64, 127 new cases of C.diff were identified, two cases fewer than the previous quarter, compared with 194 cases in the same quarter last year - a decrease of 34.5 per cent.

There were 69 new cases of MRSA, 13 fewer than in the previous quarter.