New figures have revealed the dramatic fall in Clostridium Difficile infection rates among pensioners across Scotland .
Cases of C.diff in patients aged 65 and over have reduced by almost 79 per cent since the 2007.
A recent parliamentary question revealed in 2007 there were 6,430 cases reported compared to 1,382 in 2012 – a fall of 78.5%
Commenting, Falkirk West MSP and Public Health Minister Michael Matheson, said:
“These figures show the dramatic impact the Scottish Government focus on tackling hospital acquired infection has had.
“Last year there were over 5,000 fewer people aged 65 or over reported to have C.diff since 2007. In Forth Valley the number has dropped from 307 to 9. That is a fantastic achievement and could not have been achieved without the hard work and dedication of our health service.
“But every case is one too many – and we need to keep working hard to keep these numbers coming down.
“There have been falls across every NHS Board in Scotland and we must praise the hard work that has been done by NHS staff to help cut infection.
“Investment in tackling hospital acquired infections, bringing cleaning back into the public sector and establishing the Healthcare Environment Inspectorate are all key steps taken by the SNP to cut C.diff rates across Scotland.”
