By Grant Smith

THE BIGGEST-EVER survey of hospital-acquired infections (HAI) has found as many as one patient in nine has been affected at the major hospitals in Tayside and Fife.

Across the whole of Scotland, an average of 9.5% of inpatients at the 45 acute hospitals were found to have potentially-lethal bacteria such as MRSA.

Every inpatient in each hospital was counted on a particular day. Out of 11,608 people 1103 of them had an HAI.

The infection rate for inpatients at a representative sample of 22 community hospitals was lower at 7.3%.

For the first time the cost of dealing with HAIs has also been established—£183 million a year.

Health secretary Nicola Sturgeon announced a task force set up to tackle the problem is being told to step up its work.

In Tayside, Perth Royal Infirmary’s rate was higher than the national average. Of its 197 inpatients, 22 had an HAI which works out at a rate of 11.2%.

In Dundee, there were 49 out of 604 inpatients at Ninewells Hospital infected, a below- average rate of 8.1%. Only one person out of 22 at Stracathro Hospital by Brechin was found to be infected, a rate of only 4.5%.

In Fife, Dunfermline’s Queen Margaret Hospital had 31 patients with an HAI out of 318, working out at 9.7%, while Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy had 241 inpatients of whom 23 had an HAI, a rate of 9.5%.

However, it is not possible to say a hospital with a high rate is doing badly in trying to control HAIs because the figures will fluctuate as patients arrive and are discharged.

However, the overall incidence of infections is worryingly high, as the health secretary admitted.

Ms Sturgeon added, “The comprehensive nature of the survey means that it may appear Scotland’s rates of HAI are worse than elsewhere. This is not necessarily the case—like for like comparisons with other countries, including England and Norway, show that Scotland’s rates are similar.

“But HAI is a serious problem that must be tackled.”

One particular infection, C difficile, was especially prevalent among the elderly and in medical specialities, accounting for 92% of the cases found.

Ms Sturgeon has ordered the national HAI task force to examine the case for introducing an MRSA screening programme, target skin and soft tissue infections, reduce blood stream infections and ensure additional surveillance data are put to use in the areas of general medicine and care of the elderly.

New investment in tackling HAI beyond 2007/08 will form part of the Executive’s spending review announcement later this year.