Health Care Associated Infections

Part of the debate – in the Scottish Parliament at 10:14 am on 12 February 2009.

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Photo of Shona Robison Shona Robison Scottish National Party 10:14, 12 February 2009

This has been a far-reaching debate on an issue that impacts on us all. I am very grateful indeed for the constructive contributions that have been made on all sides of the chamber, which shows the seriousness with which the whole Parliament treats this important issue.

The cabinet secretary took some time in her opening speech to set out the actions that we are taking across the NHS in Scotland and I want to use a little bit of my time to restate the significance of those actions and how they impact across the NHS. NHS boards now have better local surveillance systems in place, which are more transparent, robust, sensitive and reliable in identifying situations that require further investigation. A far better understanding of the different C diff strains is emerging through the work of the C diff national reference laboratory, a more robust reporting regime is in place and there is a zero tolerance approach to non-compliance with hand hygiene standards.

I was struck, as I think other members in the chamber were, by Patricia Ferguson's description of the nurse pulling up the doctor. I think that that is absolutely right; it should be understood throughout the NHS that it is everybody's responsibility, no matter how senior the person who breaches the guidelines, to speak out. I say well done to the nurse who did that.

It is important to reiterate that we are investing record levels of resources in tackling HAI and increasing spend by £39 million over three years, which is a 260 per cent increase. We have announced a target, from April 2009, for NHS boards to reduce C diff rates by at least 30 per cent by March 2011, but we will ask boards to set themselves a more challenging target for reducing C diff year on year.