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Link: News - Stornoway Today
WESTERN Isles Health Board have quickly stepped in to quell fears for patient safety after it was confirmed traces of MRSA were detected at the hospital. It is believed that traces of the bug were found on the handle of a vegetable freezer within the kitchens at the hospital during routine environmental surveillance. Denise Wilson, Infection Control Spokesperson, eased concerns claiming 'at no time were staff or patients at risk of infection.' She said: "We know that MRSA is present in the community, in peoples' homes and working environments, and poses no risk to healthy people. "As part of routine environmental surveillance, we check kitchen surfaces to ensure they are not contaminated. "In common with most NHS premises areas of MRSA growth are found. Organisms are often found on handles etc but survive for only a short period of time, which is the case in this instance. "Normal cleaning precautions carried out routinely in the kitchen will kill MRSA.The organism is not a cause of food poisoning and at no time were staff or patients at risk of infection."
Link: The Daily Record
A GRAN survived a major operation - then died of hospital super-bug MRSA.
Davina McCafferty, 63, chatted happily to relatives as she recovered from risky surgery to remove an aneurysm from her chest.
But within days, her condition deteriorated and she died in intensive care at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.
This week, the hospital was named Scotland's best for providing care for the over-50s.
But Davina's family claim hygiene on the ward was poor.
Her daughter Maria, 39, said: "I watched my mother suffer an agonising death.
"Something must be done so that no other family goes through the same hell."
Davina woke from her op on Valentine's Day to be told she could be paralysed due to complications.
But the battling widow and gran-of-eight was determined to get well and was soon sitting up and speaking to visitors.
Her family were sure she would recover - but days later she took a turn for the worse.
Doctors had to perform a tracheotomy because Davina couldn't breathe.
Then her kidneys began to fail and she was put on a dialysis machine.
Maria repeatedly asked docs if her mum had MRSA but was told they were unsure.
That last line is telling - the hospital needs to come up with some responses to that.
Link: The Daily Record
A GRIEVING family have been given an apology by a health board following the death of an elderly relative at Stirling Royal Infirmary. Pensioner Mary Harley was admitted with blood clots on September 22. But the 64-year-old contracted MRSA and died of broncho-pneumonia and a blood clot in her lungs six weeks later. After the sudden death, her anguished daughter and sister demanded answers to a string of concerns over the standard of care Mary had received. Her family complained she was left with an overflowing colostomy bag, given prescribed medicine three days late and was kept in a filthy ward. They have now been sent an apology from NHS Forth Valley.
Link: News
A GRIEVING family has been given a written apology following the death of their elderly relative. Tragic pensioner Mary Harley was admitted to Stirling Royal Infirmary with blood clots on September 22. But the 64-year-old then contracted the killer bug MRSA and died of bronchopneumonia and a blood clot on the lungs six weeks later. After the sudden death her anguished daughter and sister, helped by Councillor Craig Martin, demanded answers to a string of concerns over the standard of care Mrs Harley (pictured below) had received. The shock list compiled by Caroline Todd and her aunt Margaret Wilson included complaints the woman was: lGiven prescribed medicine three days late. lRepeatedly left with an overflowing colostomy bag. lConnected to a broken piece of equipment needed to help her to breathe. lLeft distressed and "convinced her time had come" after being abruptly handed a leaflet on MRSA and moved into a single room.
Link: icLanarkshire
FIGURES highlighting the extent of MRSA in Lanarkshire hospitals were revealed this week. They show that last year FORTY-SIX people who died following surgery in the county had a hospital-acquired infection. The total amounts to one-in-four of all the patients who passed away after undergoing operations. The figures were released in data compiled by the Scottish Audit of Surgical Mortality. They found that of the 1854 people who died in Scotland, 376 were infected with bacteria such as the superbug MRSA.
Link: Drive for cleaner hospitals - The Herald.
raffic lights. Housekeepers. The Scottish Executive's latest campaign to improve hygiene and cleanliness in hospitals, announced yesterday, is not short on soundbites. But is there substance behind the headline-making wording? The facts suggest there needs to be if hospitals are to become less of a breeding ground for potentially fatal infections. The so-called "superbug", MRSA, is ruthless in exploiting any weakness in standards of hygiene. It alone kills some 450 people a year in Scotland. Hospitals must be made as dirt-free and hygienic as possible to minimise the risk of patients acquiring infections and speed, not reverse, their recovery. Yesterday's measures intend to make these aims deliverable. Hospitals that fall below NHS standards for cleanliness (less than 70% compliance) will be given a red classification. Those achieving between 70% and 90% compliance will be classified as amber while the cleanest (90%-plus compliance) will be given a green code. The information will be made available to the public, but it is not clear how. The budget for Scotland's 15 health boards to monitor standards and identify where hospitals will find themselves on the traffic-light system is only �100,000. This seems a paltry sum, given the work to be undertaken.
Link: Evening Times.
HOSPITAL chiefs across the country are increasingly concerned at the number of patients who develop a potentially deadly infection while being treated. But at the Golden Jubilee Hospital in Clydebank the story is very different. The hospital's annual report, to be published soon, will show that not one patient caught the MRSA superbug while receiving treatment at the former HCI hospital in the past year. And its senior infection control manager Maggie McCowan hopes their simple recipe for success could work in other hospitals. Mrs McCowan said: "Hygiene is everyone's job, not just all those who work in the hospital but also patients and visitors." A strict cleaning culture has taken off among staff, and the hospital hopes this has spread to members of the public. Mrs McCowan said: "We're very fortunate that we have single rooms for patients. And simple things such as the fact that staff have to pass a basin on the way into the room and again on the way out help to reinforce the right culture of hygiene.
Link: Times Online.
HOSPITAL acquired infections were responsible for the deaths of more than 400 people in Scotland last year. New figures published by the Scottish executive reveal for the first time the shocking toll caused by superbugs. Methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a superbug that does not respond to antibiotics, was a direct cause of 42 deaths, while clostridium difficile, a virulent stomach bug, was responsible for 98. The superbug vancomycin resistant enterococci was also listed on a death certificate. All were contracted while patients were being treated in Scottish hospitals. The death rate from MRSA and clostridium difficile has risen by more than 40% since 2001 and is marginally higher than in England.
The Ninewells Hospital ward closed by the MRSA bug has reopened, writes Maura Bowman. Medical microbiologist Dr Gabby Phillips told a meeting of the NHS Tayside Divisional Acute Services Committee today that the “increased activity in MRSA” on Ward 11 had been brought back under control. She said segregating patients who carried the bug from those who did not, and using separate nursing teams for the two groups, had played a part in resolving the problem. An active screening programme for MRSA had allowed appropriate action to be taken speedily. Dr Phillips said the nurse to patient ratio had been improved and help had been sought from domestic services to ensure that infection control issues were dealt with.
Link: Courier News Story.
HEALTH BOSSES at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee have been accused of an MRSA “cover-up” after the family of an elderly woman was unaware that she had contracted the potentially deadly bug, which contributed to her death, until they read it on her death certificate. Molly Davidson (84), of Newbigging, in Angus, died in ward 12 at Ninewells in April this year after being admitted three months earlier with bowel obstruction. She had contracted MRSA two weeks prior to death, but doctors failed to inform her family, who were left to find out the shocking news from the undertaker. The first they knew that she had the bug was when the undertaker informed them of the cause of death listed on the death certificate.
Link: Evening Telegraph: News.
NHS Tayside and the Royal College of Nursing are in discussions to formally launch a campaign designed to highlight the MRSA ‘superbug’ threat, writes Bryan Kay. The move follows a joint bid today by NHS Lothian and the RCN to tackle the problem in the Edinburgh area. It comes hard on the heels of the closure of Ward 11 at Ninewells Hospital a week past Saturday after 16 out of 24 patients were tested positive for the antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The ‘Wipe it Out’ campaign was first launched in May and includes the use of materials such as leaflets to provide advice to patients and visitors on how to avoid spreading the bug. Other guidance for healthcare professionals outlines how to control infection and prevent its spread. It is designed to promote common sense practice in hospitals by patients, staff and visitors. A spokesperson for the RCN said today, “NHS Lothian is only the second board with whom we have joined forces to do a formal launch, but we would certainly try to do that in Tayside. We will hopefully be having discussions with them today to discuss further details.”
Link: Evening Telegraph: News.
NHS Tayside and the Royal College of Nursing are in discussions to formally launch a campaign designed to highlight the MRSA ‘superbug’ threat, writes Bryan Kay. The move follows a joint bid today by NHS Lothian and the RCN to tackle the problem in the Edinburgh area. It comes hard on the heels of the closure of Ward 11 at Ninewells Hospital a week past Saturday after 16 out of 24 patients were tested positive for the antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The ‘Wipe it Out’ campaign was first launched in May and includes the use of materials such as leaflets to provide advice to patients and visitors on how to avoid spreading the bug. Other guidance for healthcare professionals outlines how to control infection and prevent its spread. It is designed to promote common sense practice in hospitals by patients, staff and visitors. A spokesperson for the RCN said today, “NHS Lothian is only the second board with whom we have joined forces to do a formal launch, but we would certainly try to do that in Tayside. We will hopefully be having discussions with them today to discuss further details.”
PATIENTS and visitors are being urged to complain to staff about dirty wards in an effort to combat deadly hospital superbugs. Visitors are also being told to confront staff if they believe they have not washed their hands and to tell a matron if they spot any dirt or dust on the ward. By giving patients the power to complain with confidence, the Royal College of Nursing believes they can help them battle against bugs such as MRSA. From today, the union will be distributing leaflets and posters across all hospitals in the Lothians advising how to stop the spread of MRSA. The leaflet also tells patients and visitors how to contact NHS Lothian's infection control team if they are concerned about MRSA.
Link: Times Online.
HOSPITALS in Orkney are the least prepared to control superbugs like MRSA, according to new figures published by the Scottish executive. They came bottom of a league table after meeting fewer than a third of targets set down to protect patients from hospital-acquired infections (HAIs). NHS Orkney met just 22 of the 69 standards covering processes that contribute to the control of infection including hand washing, cleanliness and reporting of infection outbreaks. The board had no formal, approved infection control programme in place, according to the executive’s findings.
Link: The Northern Scot - Moray's newspaper.
A HOSPITAL chief has moved to reassure patients that it is being pro-active in tackling the MRSA superbug. Figures revealed this week showed that there were 60 cases of MRSA at Dr Gray's Hospital in Elgin last year. That was down on the 2003 figure of 67 cases, while the peak at Moray's flagship hospital came in 2001 when there were 77 cases. There were just 18 cases at Leanchoil Hospital in Forres from 2000-2004. Fiona Grant, operations manager lead nurse at Dr Gray's said the public could rest assured that the hospital was doing everything possible to keep on top of MRSA. She said with 12,000 patients every year going through the hospital, the number of MRSA cases was very low.
Link: Scotsman.com News
THE vast majority of Scottish health chiefs are failing to take the most basic steps to control the spread of superbugs such as MRSA, Scotland on Sunday can reveal. Despite thousands of superbug infections and hundreds of deaths, 12 of the nation’s 15 health boards are not bothering to check if staff comply with strict rules on hand washing. Five boards are also criticised in a damning report by NHS Quality Improvement Scotland for not even having proper "hand hygiene" policies in place. Experts insist good hand hygiene by hospital staff is a fundamental element in the battle against MRSA and similar potentially deadly bacteria. The quality improvement report gives a detailed evaluation of the infection control measures put in place by each NHS board by 2004.
Link: this is north scotland
The number of people who have tested positive for MRSA in the Shetland health system has doubled in the last two years. One patient at a Shetland hospital contracted the dangerous bacteraemia blood infection version of the superbug last year. The patient was one of three who contracted MRSA at the 100-bed Gilbert Bain Hospital between April 2004 and March this year. A total of 12 patients contracted the bug throughout NHS Shetland, compared with six new cases two years before.
Link: Scotsman.com News
A helpful note of caution. With as many as 1 in 10 of those working, visiting or staying in hospital, MRSA positive it's never difficult to culture MRSA. It's a no win situation. Unless the hospitals create a sterile enviroment they'll always be accussed of failing
She added: "Assuming the tests carried out by the Evening News are robust and reliable, then they must be taken as a serious worry."
Link: Scotsman.com News
Chemsol again - sellers of disinfectant. Did they ever make their results available to hospitals seeking to verify the truth of their claims?
DANGEROUSLY high levels of the killer superbug MRSA have been found in Edinburgh Royal Infirmary following an Evening News investigation. Samples recovered from wards and public areas reveal concentrations of MRSA up to four times above the accepted danger level. Secret testing was carried out using sterilised slides coated with a special sticky gel on each side which were pressed on to surfaces within the flagship hospital. The slides were provided by microbiology research firm Chemsol Group Ltd which oversaw the investigation, ensuring tests were carried out to professional standards. They were sealed and returned to Chemsol within 48 hours where subsequent laboratory examination revealed the presence of MRSA in eight out of ten samples.
Link: dailyrecord
A COUSIN of singer Lena Zavaroni has died after contracting the superbug MRSA. Alfredo Zavaroni, 54, was infected at Inverclyde Hospital in Greenock, Renfrewshire. Heart patient Alfredo, of Rothesay, Isle of Bute, was moved to Glasgow's Gartnavel Hospital but died on Monday. His sister Margaret said: 'After catching this terrible disease, he always knew he'd be taken out in abox.' Lena died aged 35 in 1999 after battling anorexia
Link: Courier News Story.
Holding their hands in front of a cabinet with an ultra-violet light source showed that some areas had been missed by the soap—and those same spots, in everyday life, could have been hiding places for bacteria. Mr Petrie said, “I came out of it quite successfully but one area that wasn’t cleaned properly was around my wedding ring. “It shows how vital it is for staff, patients and visitors to wash their hands thoroughly. We should all be able to do it as it’s pretty basic stuff and not rocket science. “Both members of staff and the public have been trying the hand-washing trial. It’s important we get the public to help us fight infection in the hospital.” Mr Marr, whose hands did not emerge spotless after their washing, said, “It just reminds you of the fact that it’s actually quite difficult to wash your hands, and I spent some time cleaning them.”
Link: BBC NEWS
Nurses are to be put back in charge of cleanliness in an effort to reduce the number of hospital infections. Health Minister Andy Kerr has unveiled a £15m campaign aimed at tackling a problem which affects about 33,000 hospital patients each year. Sisters and charge nurses will undergo training in infection control and be given more powers. A new bacteria-fighting hand wash gel is to be made available by every hospital bed by next month. More research will be carried out on hospital bugs.
Link: BBC NEWS.
Dr Syed Ahmed, consultant in public health medicine, said the aim was to raise awareness of MRSA and other infections. "We are re-doubling our efforts with this unprecedented level of campaigning to drive down infection rates and boost public confidence in their health service," he said. "The downward trend in MRSA rates is very welcome and results from determined efforts to tackle healthcare associated infection rates across Glasgow's hospitals. There is no room for complacency Professor Sir John Arbuthnott NHS Greater Glasgow chairman "Every possible effort to further improve infection rates will be implemented with enthusiasm and determination." The chairman of NHS Greater Glasgow, Professor Sir John Arbuthnott, added: "We must all remain on high alert to the threat from MRSA .
Link: Scotsman.com
HEALTH chiefs in the Lothians are failing to meet one third of targets aimed at stamping out deadly hospital bugs. A report has found that NHS Lothian is only meeting 46 out of the 68 levels of criteria required to tackle infections such as MRSA. Inspectors visiting the board in March 2004 discovered that a proper infection control team was not in place. They also found that no proper lines of accountability had been set up, and that infection reports were not being passed onto appropriate groups. The report found that Scottish NHS bosses still have a lot of work to do to stamp out superbugs. Only 37 per cent of health boards had proper systems in place to monitor the number of bugs. About a quarter of Scottish hospitals were complying with guidance on hand washing, a major step in the fight against the spread of infections.
Link: Scotland Today.
Hospital wards in Scotland are getting better at tackling infections according to a new report out today. 80 per cent of Scotland's Boards met standards on Healthcare Associated Infections last year, compared with just over half in 2002. The findings come after several initiatives were introduced to combat the MRSA superbug. The review body praised the improvement, but said more needs to be done to improve good hand hygiene.
Link: Scotsman.com
This editorial is a little niave about where one might catch MRSA
SINCE the late 1990s, the number of MRSA cases in Scotland has soared. Last year alone health boards admitted that 1000 patients were diagnosed as having the superbug bacteria in their blood - a rise of 12 per cent on the previous year. But let’s first put these figures in their proper context. MRSA is not a disease or an illness. Few people go into hospital carrying it. It is contracted in operating theatres and in wards through a lack of proper hygiene. For the young, weak and old in particular it can prove fatal, with an estimated 400 patients a year in Scotland succumbing to it. Despite long-term awareness of the risks, few hospitals have been able to bring hospital infections fully under control and 33,000 patients develop them each year. Health Minister Andy Kerr last month announced £15 million of ring-fenced cash to tackle hospital-acquired infections. Alcohol-based handsoap is to be placed beside every frontline bed and there has been a radical overhaul of mopping and cleaning procedures. While the danger of spreading infection remains strong on general wards, outbreaks are more likely to occur where patient-staff contact is closer in the likes of theatres and treatment areas. So it seems sensible that the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary has now banned the wearing of surgical scrubs in the communal canteen area where the public and staff freely mix, even though the risk of contamination was apparently small. However, with concern about hospital-acquired infection at such a level that it has become an election issue, it is surprising that it has taken so long for the measure to be introduced.
Link: Sunday Times - Times Online.
THE wife of one of Scotland’s most senior peers has condemned the state of the National Health Service after her husband contracted a potentially fatal hospital superbug twice while recovering from illness in hospital, write Jason Allardyce and Sue Leonard. Lord Jauncey of Tullichettle, a former Scottish House of Lords judge and life baron, was admitted to hospital in Perth after suffering a stroke. His wife, Lady Jauncey, claims that the 79-year-old’s recovery was hindered by “a lamentable catalogue of misfortunes” caused by an acute shortage of nurses. Staff who dealt with her husband were clearly exhausted and demoralised, “inspiring absolutely no confidence in the NHS”, she added. The former judge was taken into Perth Royal Infirmary in November after the stroke left him incapacitated and critically ill as a result of serious heart complications. He was first diagnosed as having MRSA on the skin within two weeks of being taken into hospital in November and he was given a course of treatment. However, three months later, after he was moved to another ward, he was found to have MRSA again, this time in the bladder.
Link: sundaymail
A PROBE has been launched into an abnormally high number of MRSA cases in one of Scotland's biggest hospitals. Seven patients have fallen victim to the potentially deadly superbug at St John's Hospital, Livingston. The bug struck in the accident and emergency ward, as well as the rehabilitation and acute care for the elderly units. Now health chiefs have started an internal inquiry. St John's will remain open during the probe. Figures released by Health Protection Scotland (HPS) show the hospital broke MRSA standards between October and December 2004. Yesterday, Dr Jacqui Reilly, a consultant epidemiologist with HPS, said: 'We have alerted the hospital and they are looking into the matter. 'If a ward exceeds its upper control limit, then that means they have a higher than expected rate of infection for that period. 'There are a number of reasons for this. One of these may be a need to look at patient care practices.' She added: 'A change in the type of patient coming into a ward can effect the figures. If you get patients who are more susceptible to contracting MRSA, then the figures can go up.' Asked about the decision to keep the hospital open, HPS expertProfessor David Goldberg, said: 'I'm not aware of closures having to be made as a result of just exceeding a standard. 'If we were to do that, I think we would close down the health service.'
HE devastated family of a cancer patient who died after catching the superbug MRSA today demanded a full inquiry into his death. Eric Shatford, 61, of Sandyhills, Glasgow, was being treated for throat cancer at the Beatson Oncology Centre at the Western Infirmary when he lost his fight for life. Eric, a grandfather and father of three, was having radiotherapy and doctors predicted he would make a full recovery.
Link: Scotsman.com
MINISTERS have failed to tackle the MRSA crisis, it was claimed yesterday, after the latest figures showed a record number of blood infections in Scotland. Health services reported almost 1,000 hospital patients had the bacteria in their blood in 2004, an increase of 12 per cent on the previous year. And rates of the "superbug" have stayed consistently high since 2001, despite attempts to bring the drug-resistant infection under control. Health experts and opposition politicians are calling on the Executive to take urgent action to reduce infection. But Andy Kerr, the health minister, insisted he has already pledged millions to fight infections and turn a "levelling-off" into a decrease.
Link: Scotsman.com News - Health - Untreatable MRSA 'now on horizon'.
SCOTLAND’S leading authority on MRSA has warned that untreatable strains of the deadly superbug are on the horizon if the Scottish Executive and the NHS fail to drastically improve their efforts to control the crisis. Writing in The Scotsman, Dr Ian Gould, a consultant microbiologist at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, claims today that despite the promise of renewed investment in the NHS and several new anti-MRSA antibiotics in the near future, urgent action is required to improve the fabric of hospital wards and increase patient screening to tackle the problem. According to the latest figures at least 33,000 patients in Scotland develop one or more infections while in hospital each year. Hospital acquired infections are also the major factor in an estimated 457 deaths and a contributory factor in a further 1,372 fatal cases, costing NHS Scotland up to £186 million annually. Figures also show Scottish hospitals reporting a 20 per cent rise in MRSA and according to Dr Ian Gould the lack of isolation rooms for patients with MRSA remains "woeful and inadequate" and that such failings were "stoking the cauldron" of MRSA.
Link: Evening Times.
A TEENAGE girl told today how she was struck down by the superbug MRSA as she fought cancer in a Glasgow hospital. Samantha Johnstone, 18, had her world turned upside down after she found a lump on her ribs, which was diagnosed as a rare bone cancer, Ewing's sarcoma. With vital final-year exams looming, she was forced to give up school so she could have chemotherapy and surgery to remove four ribs. But she was devastated when doctors discovered she had contracted MRSA as she recovered from an operation at the Western Infirmary.
Link: Cancer trio latest MRSA victims - The Herald.
The three men are being treated at the Beatson Oncology Centre at the Western Infirmary in Glasgow after the latest outbreak. Margaret Esdale, 58, was receiving chemotherapy for oesophageal cancer when she contracted MRSA and died there last Thursday. Although Mrs Esdale's cancer was terminal, her husband believes the MRSA infection, given as the official cause of death,
A DEVASTATED daughter told yesterday how she believes her father died after catching MRSA in hospital. Robert Patrick was admitted to an intensive care unit in January with a severe chest infection. Despite his family being told he might not last the weekend, the 70-year-old pulled through. But the family believe the great-granddad picked up the superbug while in intensive care at Glasgow's Western Infirmary. He died two months later in hospital after the infection swept through his body. His daughter, Gail Clark, said: 'All our family are so shocked. He was picking up and we thought my dad was getting better. 'Although he was 70, he was a big man and used to work as a long-distance lorry driver and was a farmer many years ago. 'To me, it just should never have happened.'
Link: BBC NEWS
Three patients at a specialist cancer unit in Glasgow have contracted the MRSA superbug. The three men are patients at the Beatson Oncology Centre in Glasgow. Part of the Beatson centre is sited at the city's Western Infirmary, where a ward was closed after four patients were hit by the superbug last week. NHS Greater Glasgow said the cases were unconnected. It is not yet known whether the patients have contracted the same strain of MRSA. A spokeswoman said the Beatson unit was in a different building to the hospital ward and the ward had reopened for admissions on Friday. Health officials said cancer patients were more vulnerable to MRSA as their immune systems could be damaged by treatments designed to destroy cancer cells, such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
Link: Heart ops cancelled as deadly MRSA shuts vital unit
FOURTEEN operations at a life-saving heart and lung unit have been cancelled after MRSA was discovered there. Infection control experts were today drafted in to the cardio- thoracic unit at Glasgow's Western Infirmary which has been closed to admissions since MRSA was found on Monday. Four patients from the ward are being treated for MRSA although health chiefs insist the cases are not linked because they are all different types of MRSA
Link: BBC NEWS
New measures aimed at tackling Hospital Acquired Infections (HAIs) have been announced by Glasgow health officials. They have launched a new infection control manual and a poster and leaflet campaign promoting cleanliness in health service establishments. Officials also want patients and staff to have a say on steps being taken to control bugs. The Scottish Executive has been involved in a long-running campaign aimed at reducing HAIs. The purge is aimed at organisms such as MRSA which strike after, for instance, surgery and cause infections in places such as wounds, the chest or urinary tract. Infection Control Adviser Evonne Curran said: "This new campaign comes as NHS Greater Glasgow welcomes the news that overall numbers of MRSA bacteraemia in Glasgow hospitals are going down.
Link: sundaymail
SCOTLAND'S biggest hospitals are losing the fight against MRSA - as this exclusive league table reveals. Eight months after the Sunday Mail's shocking investigation into our major hospitals, a report reveals the rate of MRSA infection is still rising. The league table is the first of its kind to be published and reveals the number of cases of the deadly superbug in each of Scotland's 18 health areas. The overall number of new cases throughout Scotland in a single year was 949. Hospitals in North Glasgow, Lothian and Tayside were worst hit but Dumfries and Galloway and Lanarkshire also had a higher than average rate of MRSA infection. The figures from Health Protection Scotland show that despite pledges of action after we exposed the rise of MRSA last year, the health service is losing the battle against the bug.
Link: Evening Telegraph: News.
NHS Tayside today sought to reassure the public that new measures are being put in place to combat the MRSA superbug threat, writes Bryan Kay. The assurance follows news of a second baby contracting the antibiotic-resistant bug within hours being born in the maternity unit at Ninewells Hospital. Liam Deuchars, of Dundee, was born in the hospital last November and upon learning that the tot had contracted MRSA his outraged mother Dawn complained. An investigation was conducted to establish the source and it emerged that one staff member was carrying the bug. The hospital has apologised to the family, but because the incident occurred just weeks after Montrose new-born Stuart Mather tested positive for MRSA under similar circumstances, the matter is causing increasing concern. NHS Tayside says it has tackled the problem head-on since the two incidents and a spokesperson said microbiologists had recommended new measures to tackle MRSA.
Link: dailyrecord
AN ANGRY mum told last night how her newborn son caught superbug MRSA from a NURSE. Little Liam Deuchars fell ill within hours of his birth. Tests pointed to a staff member in the hospital maternity unit as the source of the infection. Liam's mum Dawn, 29, said: 'I've read all the news about MRSA and I feared the worst when I was told Liam had it. 'I thought I was going to lose him.' Liam was the second baby in weeks to get the deadly bug at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee. The Record exclusively revealed last month that newborn Stuart Mather caught the illness there within hours of his birth.
SCOTLAND’S hospitals have some of the highest MRSA rates in the developed world. So other than hand-washing, which hospitals seem to trot out like a mantra every time MRSA raises its ugly head, what other ways could the NHS in Scotland stop its spread? There are several things that hospitals are currently not doing which would have a dramatic impact on superbug rates. In some countries, patients, staff and visitors are routinely screened for MRSA and dealt with accordingly if they are found to have the bug. Health chiefs in this country have always shied away from this, because of civil liberties issues and the difficulty of carrying out such screening in practice. But with MRSA showing no sign of going away, maybe it is time the NHS cast such doubts aside and tried everything to wipe it out? Even if members of the public are unwittingly bringing MRSA into hospitals, there are things they can do to stop the spread of infection and staff need to ensure that visitors and patients know exactly what to do. But they must be led by example from NHS staff, who, we are told, are in many cases failing to do the most basic thing to stop the spread of hospital infections - washing their hands.
Link: Scotsman.com
THE family of a grandmother who died after contracting the superbug MRSA at a city hospital have accused health chiefs of covering up the true cause of her death. Doctors told Ina Boyd’s relatives that she had died as a result of the bug at the Western General Hospital on Tuesday, just months after undergoing a successful cancer operation. But the cause of death given on the 76-year-old’s death certificate was an "epidural abscess". No mention was made of the superbug even though the family said hospital files showed MRSA had ravaged her body and entered her spine.
Link: dailyrecord
SUPERBUGS were found in nearly one in 12 Scots patients who died after surgery last year. Out of 4094 deaths studied, 344 - 8.4 per cent - had developed a hospital-acquired infection (HAI). HAIs, which include the notorious superbug MRSA, were most common among orthopaedic patients, 15 per cent of whom contracted one. The statistics were revealed in the Scottish Audit of Surgical Mortality(SASM),which examined HAI rates for the first time. Opposition politicians said the figures were 'very worrying' and called for increased care in screening. But SASM board chairman Professor Graham Teasdale said: 'Surgical care in Scotland remains a very safe process. 'As in past years,the majority of those who died while under surgical care did so following an emergency admission.'
Link: Scotsman.com
DEPUTY First Minister Jim Wallace was today set to open a state-of-the-art research facility which will tackle hospital superbugs. The new lab at St Andrews University will attract scientists from around the globe and will target superbugs like MRSA. The facility - the Scottish Structural Proteomics Facility - is a collaboration between the universities of Dundee and St Andrews.
Link: this is north scotland.
Hospital staff who fought off a superbug outbreak have been praised for their efforts. The Ravenscraig ward at Peterhead's Ugie Hospital was closed to new admissions for six weeks after more than half of its patients were found to be carrying the potentially deadly MRSA bug. An operation to prevent its spreading, which was led by NHS Grampian's infection control team, came to an end when all but two of the patients were given the all-clear. They were placed in separate rooms, effectively isolating them from the rest of the hospital. During the six-week operation, hospital staff increased hand-washing and wore protective gloves and aprons.
Link: Evening Times.
AN MSP has accused the Scottish Executive of washing its hands of an MRSA scandal hospital in Glasgow. Carolyn Leckie, the Scottish Socialist Party health spokeswoman, put a series of official questions to Health Minister Andy Kerr after recent revelations about continuing filthy conditions at Glasgow Royal Infirmary. Undercover reporters found the MRSA bug in wards two months ago and again earlier this month.
Link: Scotsman.com
HOSPITALS in the Lothians remain the worst in Scotland for superbugs - despite promises made two years ago to tackle the problem. A patient has a one in 396 chance of contracting MRSA during a ten-day hospital stay, worse than in any other region in the country. Now NHS Lothian has announced a campaign to stop the spread of superbugs in its hospitals. Health chiefs say figures are improving, but critics today demanded action to stamp out the problem once and for all. The figure has fallen steadily since 2001, but still remains above the Scottish average of one in 650
Link: this is north scotland
A Superbug outbreak which closed a north-east hospital ward for six weeks has ended. The Ravenscraig ward at Peterhead's Ugie Hospital has been re-opened to new admissions. The announcement came as health bosses revealed the extent of the potentially deadly MRSA problem in the north-east. At NHS Grampian's three main hospitals, in Aberdeen and Elgin, 385 patients are infected with the bacteria.
Scotsman.com News
THE health service is failing to halt the spread of the MRSA superbug despite spending an extra �10 million this year on cleaning Scotland’s dirty hospitals, new figures revealed yesterday. Hospital managers have increased their cleaning budgets by nearly 12 per cent to fight the spread of deadly infections - the biggest proportional increase in spending from this year’s NHS Scotland budget. But according to the latest research, deaths from MRSA and other infections acquired in hospital are rising, with a toll of 450 deaths caused directly by those infections and a further 1,800 deaths linked to the infections in the most recent full year for which figures are available.
The Sunday Post: News
But the Matron’s Charter only applies to hospitals down south as health issues for Scotland are devolved to the Executive — and they have no plans to follow Mr Reid’s lead. So how will Scots patients be protected from dirty hospitals? Maggie McCowan, former chairperson of the Infection Control Nurses Association (Scottish Group), doesn’t want to see matrons reintroduced to Scotland — but she believes private cleaning contracts should be scrapped. She said, “Cleanliness in hospitals is an extremely serious issue. In theory, I agree with those who say it’s time to scrap contract cleaning in favour of giving nurses more control over cleaning the wards.
this is north scotland
Health chiefs are winning their battle against a superbug at a north-east hospital. The Ravenscraig ward at Ugie Hospital, Peterhead, has been closed to new admissions as staff deal with an outbreak of MRSA. Tests showed eight of the ward's 13 geriatric patients were carrying the bacteria two weeks ago. NHS Grampian's infection-control team has been drafted in to monitor the situation and carry out daily checks. All the affected patients have been screened again and now only one is still testing positive for the bug.
BBC NEWS
A woman has launched a compensation claim against a health board after contracting the MRSA superbug. Elizabeth Miller, from Kilsyth, said poor hygiene caused her to contract the potentially fatal infection while a patient at Glasgow Royal Infirmary. Her lawyer said that if her case was successful it could open the flood gates for thousands of other claims. A spokeswoman for the hospital said it could not comment on the legal action at this stage. The 67-year-old woman has demanded £30,000 in compensation from the hospital.
Scotsman.com News
ONE of Scotland’s largest health boards is launching a drive to raise public awareness of the superbug MRSA. NHS Greater Glasgow confirmed a hard-hitting poster campaign in hospitals and health centres throughout the city will form the centrepiece of the campaign.
It will feature slogans such as "Clean hands, clean conscience" and "Give your loved one a helping hand - not an infection".
Kirkintilloch Today
A FULL scale investigation was being carried out at Glasgow Royal Infirmary this week following claims that an inspection by health watchdogs had found high levels of the superbug MRSA in the hospital. As the Herald went to press, health chiefs were in talks with the private sector company responsible for cleaning the hospital.
A spokesperson for North Glasgow University Hospitals said: "We have launched an immediate investigation into each of the allegations and have already begun detailed discussions with Sodexho about how they intend to respond to the criticisms that relate to the services for which they are responsible. "Public health officials from NHS Greater Glasgow have also been brought in to work with our infection control teams, the contractor and hospital managers to vigorously investigate these concerns. "We take our responsibilities for managing infection and hygiene very seriously. We are totally committed to the reduction of healthcare associated infections and are striving very hard to reduce their occurrence.
dailyrecord
A SICK ex-nurse was so worried about catching a hospital bug that she scrubbed her room for an hour before her operation. Marjorie Smith's fears were well founded - she discovered a full bedpan and grimy surfaces. The 68-year-old, from Brechin, arrived at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee for a kidney-stone operation armed with cleaning products. She has written to hospital bosses, complaining about the cardboard bedpan filled with urine, greasy sink and walls with splash marks which looked 'suspiciously like blood or urine'.
this is north scotland
This feature is detailed and well researched. It suggests that:
1 in 5 who get MRSA die as a result
5% of patients have it before entering the hospital
Ward cleanliness, while important, is not the major factor in it's spread, but unwashed hands may be
Screening and Isolation are key policies
Well worth a read
this is north scotland - news, entertainment, jobs, homes and cars
The Mrsa superbug tightened its hold on Scottish hospitals last year, with nearly all health boards seeing more of their beds taken up by sufferers. Outside the central belt, Tayside recorded one of the highest numbers of cases. Orkney saw one of the largest increases, although it had been unaffected by the bug the previous year.
Scotsman.com
THE scale of Scotland’s MRSA crisis has been revealed by the publication of a league table showing that hospital patients in North Glasgow, Lothian and Tayside have more chance of contracting the bug than anyone else in the country. Hospitals in the north of Glasgow came out worst in the nationwide MRSA table, which was compiled by the Scottish Centre for Infection and Environmental Health.
More detail via the link above
Evening Telegraph: News
A consultant at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee has revealed that tackling the scourge of MRSA costs health boards “millions” and stressed that staff through to patients and visitors all have a role to play in reducing the life-threatening superbug, writes Lynne Stewart. Dr Gabby Phillips, medical microbiology consultant at Ninewells, conceded that hospital acquired infections was one of the biggest headaches facing the hospital today.
sundaymail
SCOTLAND'S top doctor has warned he will name and shame every hospital failing to stop the spread of MRSA. And patients will be able to see where their local infirmary stands in a league table of Scotland's deadliest hospitals.
sundaymail
A NEW superbug at least as deadly as MRSA is sweeping Scottish hospitals.
Known victims of VRE (Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci) have soared by nearly 50 per cent but doctors believe many cases go unreported.
Evening Telegraph
Hospital authorities have promised a quick response to survey findings
A short introduction from Dave Roberts
This 12 minute introduction will help you grasp the key facts and the key issues surrounding drug resistant staph aureus (mersa, mursa)