Health Protection Scotland have admitted that they don't know how many cases of C. difficile have been recorded in individual Scottish hospitals, or the number of fatalities in which the infection was a contributory factor.

Scottish Labour sent a Freedom of Information request to Health Protection Scotland asking for the number of cases of Clostridium Difficile Associated Disease broken down by individual hospital, and the number of deaths where the infection was a contributory factor.

The agency responded in writing that "Health Protection Scotland does not hold the information you requested."
 
Labour's Health Spokesman Dr Richard Simpson said:

"Nicola Sturgeon's complacency about hospital acquired infections has been unacceptable, but this is genuinely shocking. Health Protection Scotland is the organisation responsible for ensuring that our hospitals are clean and safe, but they have effectively admitted they don't have a clue what is going on.

"I don't see how Health Protection Scotland can't protect the interests of patients if they don't know how many infections there are in each hospital. Worse still, it seems that neither they nor Nicola Sturgeon have even asked for this essential information. This is a matter or real concern, which further underlines the need for an immediate public inquiry into C. difficile."

1 December 2008