Infections hit one patient in every Scottish hospital ward

ONE patient in every ward in Scotland catches an infection during their hospital stay, a worrying report has found.

It warns the potentially deadly hospital acquired infections are a ‘substantial public health threat’.

An NHS watchdog also found hospitals’ antibiotic prescribing rates are ‘significantly higher’ than several years ago.

Health Protection Scotland’s latest national survey of the problem found the current rate of hospital acquired infections (HAI) in acute hospitals is 4.5 per cent, or 55,500 every year.

The average size of a ward in the survey was around 22 beds.

Although rates have fallen over the last five years, experts warn the problem remains a ‘significant burden’.

The report concludes: ‘On average, there is one patient in every ward in every hospital at all times with HAI and there are an estimated 55,500 HAIs each year in acute adult patients in Scottish hospitals.’

While 4.5 per cent of adults in acute hospitals had an HAI, the survey also found one in 50 of those receiving non-acute hospital care were affected, along with one in 30 of paediatric patients.

A total of 527 HAIs were found in 497 acute adult inpatients during the 2016 survey.

Hospital patients are susceptible to infections because their immune systems are weakened and the bugs can be picked up from the environment, other patients or staff.

Antibiotics, which are highly effective in treating infections, can also cause bugs to develop resistance to treatment if they are over-used.

Professor Jacqui Reilly, lead consultant for healthcare associated infections at Health Protection Scotland, said: ‘These infections remain a public health threat across all care settings. We will develop national programmes to tackle these threats and work with NHS colleagues to preserve antibiotics for future use.’

Common bugs patients are picking up on wards include urinary tract infections, pneumonia, surgical site infections and blood infections.

The E.coli bug is now the ‘predominant cause’ of healthcare associated infection, so new prevention measures are needed, the report warned.

The survey looked at almost 13,000 patients in 70 hospitals.

It also found antibiotic prescribing in hospitals is ‘significantly higher’ than several years ago ‘and has serious implications for the threat of antibiotic resistance’.

Antibiotic use in hospitals increased by almost 10 per cent between 2012 and 2015.

Health Secretary Shona Robison said: ‘Tackling healthcare associated infections remains a constant challenge and we will continue to support NHS boards to deliver further improvements for the safety of patients.’

Scotland’s biggest outbreak of a hospital acquired infection was the C diff scandal at the Vale of Leven Hospital, Dunbartonshire, between 2007-2008.

An inquiry found the bug was a contributory factor in the deaths of 34 patients.

‘Remain a public health threat’