FAILURE AT HEALTH PROTECTION SCOTLAND CDIFF FIGURES UNKNOWN

Health Protection Scotland have admitted that they don’t know how many cases of C. difficile have been recorded in individual Scottish hospitals, or the number of fatalities in which the infection was a contributory factor.

Scottish Labour sent a Freedom of Information request to Health Protection Scotland asking for the number of cases of Clostridium Difficile Associated Disease broken down by individual hospital, and the number of deaths where the infection was a contributory factor.

The agency responded in writing that “Health Protection Scotland does not hold the information you requested.

Wendy Alexander said

“Further to the September promise from the Health Secretary, in response to a question from me in the Parliament chamber that she would look at the issue I  will again ask her in the chamber tomorrow afternoon (04/12/08), when  will the Scottish Government introduce regular, public hospital by hospital reporting of Hospital Acquired Infection rates?

Health Protection Scotland is the organisation responsible for ensuring that our hospitals are clean and safe, but they have effectively admitted they don’t have a clue what is going on.
“I don’t see how Health Protection Scotland can’t protect the interests of patients if they don’t know how many infections there are in each hospital. Worse still, it seems that neither they nor Nicola Sturgeon have even asked for this essential information. This is a matter or real concern, which further underlines the need for an immediate public inquiry into C. difficile.”

Ends

Notes for editors:

Oral PQ from Wendy Alexander to Cabinet Secretary: Health and Wellbeing Question Time on 4 December 2008

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/7719918.stm

Scottish Parliament Official Report 11th September 2008
10:14
Nicola Sturgeon: …  Hugh Henry made legitimate points on the nature of assessment and inspection in our hospitals, as did Wendy Alexander when she intervened on him. As I said in my opening remarks, the issue is under my active consideration.