To ask the Scottish Executive how many isolates of Clostridium difficile ribotype 027 and 078 have been found in each of the last four quarters, broken down by (a) NHS board and (b) hospital.

All available information on ribotypes is published in the clostridium difficile quarterly reports available through the Health Protection Scotland website at www.hps.scot.nhs.uk .

At present information is only recorded at a national level and is not broken down by health board or hospital. Samples from severe cases of CDAD and suspected outbreaks are submitted to the Scottish Reference Laboratory Service for typing.

The Scottish Government has asked Health Protection Scotland to co-ordinate a "snapshot" study of Clostridium difficile ribotypes. This study will start early next year and will involve the typing of all samples of C.diff, not just those of severe disease, suspected outbreaks, or suspected infections with ribotype 027. This will give an accurate picture of the epidemiology of C.diff strains in Scotland and will help to inform how the monitoring of strains should take place in future. The results will be made available publicly.