Question reference: S5W-31799
- Date lodged: 14 September 2020
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Current status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 1 October 2020
Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) Clostridium difficile (C.diff) and (b) MRSA tests have been carried out in hospitals in each NHS board area during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Answer
The Scottish Government does not hold information on the number of Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) and Meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)tests that are carried out in hospitals across NHS Scotland. However, National Antimicrobial Resistance and Healthcare Associated Infection (ARHAI) Scotland publish quarterly data on healthcare associated and community associated CDI and Staphylococcus aureus bloodstream infections (SABs) by NHS Scotland board.
MRSA and meticillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) bloodstream infections are not reported on individually due to small numbers of MRSA cases, but are part of the overall SAB data.
The most recent quarterly data was published in July 2020 and covers the period January to March 2020 (Quarter 1).
The report can be found at the following link:
The next quarterly epidemiological data on CDI infections, SABs, Escherichia coli bloodstream infections (ECB) and Surgical Site Infection (SSI), covering April to June 2020 (Quarter 2), will be published on Tuesday 6 October 2020.
In the latest Healthcare Associated Infection Annual Report, published on 22 September 2020, National ARHAI Scotland report that both MRSA bloodstream infections and CDI rates have decreased over the past five years.