Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S3W-23279

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 24 April 2009
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 5 May 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-22508 by Nicola Sturgeon on 23 April 2009, what ribotype of Clostridium difficile was identified in the outbreak in NHS Orkney.

There were six cases ribotyped, broken down as follows:

Ribotype	Cases
015	1
027	4
078	1

Ribotyping is not available for the other cases because the sample was either culture negative or no culture was grown.

Question reference: S3W-23213

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 April 2009
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 5 May 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive when the review of the Guidance on Prevention and Control of Clostridium difficile Associated Disease (CDAD) in Healthcare Settings in Scotland, published in October 2008 by Health Protection Scotland and due for review in March 2009, will be published.

Question reference: S3W-23273

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 24 April 2009
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 5 May 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-22508 by Nicola Sturgeon on 23 April 2009, whether it will publish the outcome of the review by NHS Quality Improvement Scotland of the clinical governance arrangements in place across NHS Orkney.

Question reference: S3W-23212

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 April 2009
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 5 May 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive what it is doing to implement Rapid Review Panel products in its strategy to reduce healthcare associated infections.

Products which receive the recommendation of the Health Protection Agency''s Rapid Review Panel (RRP) will be automatically considered for possible use in NHS Scotland by the HAI Commodities Advisory Group. This is a strategic group hosted by National Procurement, which meets six monthly but operates an e-mail discussion group between meetings. The group oversees the use of HAI related commodities within NHS Scotland and brings the process of review and procurement of products together through the application of a single national systematic approach and process.

Question reference: S3W-23211

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 April 2009
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 5 May 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers the containment of Clostridium difficile spores to be a priority and, if so, what guidance it offers on containment measures.

Clostridium difficile spores represent the main source of cross infection with the organism and their containment is, therefore, a top priority. Health Protection Scotland (HPS) issued guidance in October 2008 titled Guidance on Prevention and Control of Clostridium difficile Associated Disease (CDAD) in Healthcare Settings in Scotland which details the measures to be taken to prevent the spread of clostridium difficile, such as isolation of symptomatic patients, hand hygiene, environmental cleaning, personal protective equipment and the safe management of linen and waste.

This guidance can be found on the HPS website at:

http://www.documents.hps.scot.nhs.uk/hai/sshaip/guidelines/clostridium-difficile/guidance-cdad-2008-10.pdf.

Question reference: S3W-23120

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 April 2009
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 5 May 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive whether there has been a recent incident of Clostridium difficile at the Edinburgh Western General Hospital and, if so, how many patients have been affected and what additional measures have been taken to contain the infection.

NHS Lothian has confirmed that there has been no recent incident of Clostridium difficile at the Western General Hospital. NHS Lothian has an upper control limit of two cases in one ward per week. Any breaches of the upper control limit triggers investigation by the Infection Control Team. Between October 2008 and March 2009 there were no breaches of the upper control limit. As an additional precaution, however, the Infection Control Team investigated eight incidences between October 2008 and March 2009 where wards reported above two cases in one calendar month. No incidences of cross infection were identified in any of these investigations.

Question reference: S3W-23028

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 April 2009
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 5 May 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-20313 by Nicola Sturgeon on 9 February 2009, when it expects the report on the deaths from Clostridium difficile at the Vale of Leven hospital to be available, given that the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing stated, at a meeting with the C. diff Justice Group in December 2008, that it was expected to be concluded in March 2009.

Question reference: S3W-23027

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 April 2009
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 5 May 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-20313 by Nicola Sturgeon on 9 February 2009, whether the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing received reports from Strathclyde Police, the area procurator fiscal or the Crown Counsel in March 2009 on the deaths from Clostridium difficile at the Vale of Leven Hospital.

Question reference: S3W-23029

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 April 2009
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 5 May 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the commitment made by the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing at a meeting with the C. diff Justice Group in December 2008 to consider a public inquiry into the deaths from Clostridium difficile at the Vale of Leven hospital if there was a delay in receiving a final report from the Crown Counsel, whether it will now grant a public inquiry.

Question reference: S3W-23030

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 April 2009
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 5 May 2009

To ask the Scottish Executivewhen it anticipates receiving a report from the Crown Counsel on the deaths from Clostridium difficile at the Vale of Leven hospital and whether this will be an interim or final report.