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Plenary, 26 Mar 2008

26 Mar 2008 · S3 · Plenary

Item of business

Health Care Associated Infection

Kelly, James Lab Glasgow Rutherglen Watch on SPTV

I welcome the opportunity to take part in this afternoon's debate on health care associated infections. I endorse the cabinet secretary's announcement and, obviously, I support the Labour amendment.

There is no doubt that HAIs are a serious issue. The human impact of such infections, which Margaret Curran mentioned, was driven home to me earlier this week when I read an obituary in The Herald for Drummond Hart, who was a hospital consultant. I did not know anything about Drummond Hart beforehand but he was clearly an active man who was successful professionally and had many interests in life. Sadly, in his last five years, he was wheelchair bound after he contracted MRSA while in hospital for an operation on his spine. That shows the indiscriminate nature of MRSA and how it can strike innocent people. People enter hospital looking to be cured of their illnesses; they do not expect to leave with an illness that they did not have when they went in. That shows the seriousness of the task that the Government faces.

The cabinet secretary spoke about the costs and strains that MRSA imposes on the health budget. This year's health budget of £10.25 billion is targeted mainly at heart disease, cancer and strokes. However, MRSA results in more people being admitted to hospitals, which imposes greater strain on the health service and its budget and diverts resources from the main health issues that the Government and the service are trying to tackle. Addressing health care associated infection is not only right but, hopefully, will lead in the long run to a healthier Scotland and more efficient use of the health budget.

I support the publication of the delivery plan and many of the measures that it contains, which build on the work of the previous Executive. Like other members, I welcome the publication of the MRSA screening programme. Much can be done to track the programme and lessons can be learned from it, to ensure that we have in place an effective plan to combat MRSA.

I reiterate the comments that many members have made about hand hygiene. It seems basic, but poor hand hygiene is one of the major causes of the spread of infection in hospitals. I agree with Michael Matheson that we need to put across a consistent message throughout the country, in all health boards, to ensure that people take hand hygiene seriously and that we meet the hand hygiene compliance target of 90 per cent that has been set. Audits can be an effective way of measuring progress towards the target and of learning positive lessons.

Local campaigns are also important. The NHS is a big organisation; even boards cover large areas. It is important that we get down to the grass roots of the NHS, through local campaigns to put across the key messages in tackling the spread of infection. Education is important in that regard. The necessary staff must be in place in boards and we must work closely with the trade unions and patient groups such as the Scottish patient safety alliance.

I reiterate my colleague Helen Eadie's comments on the importance of in-house cleaning services. We should work towards establishing a presumption in favour of such services.

The Labour amendment refers to care homes, about which Mary Scanlon and Irene Oldfather made good points. I pay tribute to both members for their excellent record of promoting investment in care homes. Patients in such homes are less able than patients in other parts of the NHS to look after themselves, so they are potentially more vulnerable to the spread of diseases such as MRSA. I welcome the positive announcements that the cabinet secretary has made on the issue.

This has been a good debate, although it has not evoked much interest in the press gallery, which is empty. Parliament has an important role to play on the issue. As Ross Finnie said, it is important that there should be accountability on both the delivery plan and the action plan. I look forward to the cabinet secretary giving us regular updates on those.

Health care associated infection is a serious problem that affects communities and families throughout Scotland. Today there has been much agreement on the issue across the chamber. I am sure that Scotland will watch closely as we seek to continue to make progress towards making our hospitals and care homes free from infection.

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Plenary, 26 Mar 2008

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