Following an outbreak at the Vale of Leven Hospital in Greater Glasgow and Clyde Health Board which involved 55 cases of Clostridium difficile (C.diff ) and 18 related deaths, between December 1, 2007 and June 1, 2008, the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing, Nicola Sturgeon, announced in June 2008 that an Independent Review of the circumstances which led to this would be carried out by Professor Cairns Smith.
Alongside this, Health Protection Scotland were tasked with co-ordinating a six month 'look back' exercise by the Health Boards to investigate the number of C.diff cases and deaths between December 1, 2007 and June 1, 2008 in their Board areas to ensure that there were no undiscovered outbreaks during this period.
Both the Independent Review and look-back exercise were published on the August 7, 2008.
Read the statement from Nicola Sturgeon following the publication of these reports.
To address the recommendations arising from these publications, the Healthcare Associated Infection Task Force has developed a series of Action Plans to supplement the work already being carried out under the current three year Delivery Plan.
If you cannot access the information, please contact gavin.reid@scotland.gsi.gov.uk