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-14363

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 June 2008
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 14 July 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive whether all members of staff at the Vale of Leven Hospital have received training on the causes of clostridium difficile and how it should be dealt with.

I am advised by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde that education on management of patients with clostridium difficle has been provided to all staff at ward and departmental level by Infection Control Nurses. Clostridium difficile care bundles and care plans have also been introduced at the hospital and education has been provided on the use of these documents which instruct staff on the safe management of patients. More generally, all staff at the Vale of Leven Hospital are given Infection Control Training as part of their corporate induction and new medical staff are given Infection Control education on induction.

In addition, the board’s Hand Hygiene Coordinator has audited every department at the Vale of Leven Hospital. Following this recent audit, hand hygiene training has been provided for all staff. The Cleanliness Champions programme is also in place at the hospital.

Question reference: S3W-14338

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 June 2008
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 14 July 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive how many deaths occurred in Scotland as a result of clostridium difficile (a) in 2006, (b) in 2007 and (c) up to June 2008, broken down by (i) NHS board and (ii) hospital.

It should be noted that it is unusual for clostridium difficile to be an isolated cause of death, as a range of contributory factors are normally involved. Data for 2007 and 2008 is not yet available. The following table shows data where clostridium difficile was recorded as the underlying cause of death on death certificates in 2006 only, broken down by NHS board and hospital.

NHS Board	Hospital	Number of Deaths
Ayrshire and Arran		5
	Ayr Hospital	1
	Ayrshire Central Hospital	1
	Crosshouse Hospital	3
Borders		3
	Borders General Hospital	3
Dumfries and Galloway		6
	Annan Hospital	1
	Dumfries/Galloway Royal Infirmary	5
Forth Valley		8
	Falkirk & District Royal Infirmary	6
	Stirling Royal Infirmary	2
Fife		10
	Queen Margaret Hospital	5
	Victoria Hospital	5
	Non-Hospital	1
Grampian		9
	Aberdeen Royal Infirmary	4
	Doctor Gray''s Hospital	2
	Woodend Hospital	3
Greater Glasgow		36
	Gartnavel General Hospital	3
	Glasgow Royal Infirmary	3
	Inverclyde Royal Hospital	4
	Royal Alexandra Hospital	6
	Southern General Hospital	2
	Stobhill Hospital	6
	Vale of Leven Hospital	1
	Victoria Infirmary	6
	Victoria Infirmary, Geriatric Unit	2
	Western Infirmary	2
	Western Infirmary, Beatson Oncology Centre	1
	Non-Hospital	3
Highland		2
	Raigmore Hospital	2
Lanarkshire		26
	Coathill Hospital	2
	Hairmyres Hospital	12
	Monklands General Hospital	6
	Wester Moffat Hospital	1
	Wishaw General Hospital	5
	Non-Hospital	2
Lothian		40
	Astley Ainslie Hospital	2
	Corstorphine Hospital	1
	Ellen''s Glen House	1
	Findlay House	1
	Liberton Hospital	11
	New Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh	11
	Royal Victoria Hospital	5
	St John''s Hospital	1
	Western General Hospital	7
Tayside		11
	Arbroath Infirmary	1
	Ninewells Hospital	9
	Royal Victoria Hospital	1
	Non-hospital	2
Scotland		164
	Hospital	156
	Non-Hospital	8

Question reference: S3W-14336

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 June 2008
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 14 July 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive what the timescales were for the detection and reporting of clostridium difficile at (a) Stobhill Hospital, (b) Aberdeen Royal Infirmary and (c) the Vale of Leven Hospital.

Question reference: S3W-14340

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 June 2008
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 14 July 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive whether there have been any changes to the prescribing of antibiotics at the Vale of Leven Hospital since the outbreak of clostridium difficile.

Question reference: S3W-14800

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 July 2008
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 14 July 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has an equivalent governance framework to the Code of Practice for NHS Trusts issued by the Department of Health.

A governance framework is in place in NHSScotland. NHS boards are required to have governance arrangements in place to cover their corporate and clinical responsibilities.

NHS boards are required to provide assurance that robust governance arrangements are in place for the purpose of safety, quality and probity. Organisations such as NHS Quality Improvement Scotland and Audit Scotland provide scrutiny of these arrangements and offer development and improvement support.

Question reference: S3W-14801

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 July 2008
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 14 July 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive whether NHS Scotland has core standards which NHS boards should meet and are legally enforceable.

Question reference: S3W-14802

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 July 2008
Current Status: Answered by Bruce Crawford on 14 July 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive who it has appointed as parliamentary liaison officers, broken down by portfolio.

Question reference: S3W-14220

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 13 June 2008
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 27 June 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive when NHS Scotland was first informed about the outbreak of clostridium difficile in the Vale of Leven Hospital.

Question reference: S3W-14231

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 13 June 2008
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 27 June 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive what procedures were followed by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde in relation to the outbreak of clostridium difficile in the Vale of Leven Hospital and when

Question reference: S3W-14226

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 13 June 2008
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 27 June 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is satisfied that all cases of clostridium difficile in the Vale of Leven Hospital from December 2007 to June 2008 have now been identified.