In brief – 21 January, 2010
No MRSA at GBH
NHS SHETLAND this week reported one of the lowest rates of hospital acquired infections in Scotland, with no new cases in the past six months.
From July to December last year there were no cases of MRSA, MSSA or clostridium difficile (CDI) at Gilbert Bain or Montfield hospital.
Shetland recorded just one case of MRSA and five cases of CDI last year, and was the only health board not to have any new CDI cases in the past six months.
Nursing director Nina Fraser said the health board was not complacent and had recently trained 250 staff in hand hygiene. An audit last month showed 96 per cent compliance for hand hygiene and 95 per cent for general cleaning.
Aberdeen hospital improving
INDEPENDENT inspectors, who carried out an unannounced follow up visit to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary after an earlier critical report by the Healthcare Environment Inspectorate, said yesterday (Wednesday) that improvements are being made.
The earlier report highlighted problems with infection control and hospital hygiene. Yesterday’s follow up report said an infection control doctor had been appointed; a new infection prevention and control policy has been developed; hand hygiene policy was being more widely implemented; there was improved cleanliness and a proactive approach to maintenance.
Health secretary Nicola Sturgeon said: “The initial critical HEI report into Aberdeen Royal Infirmary has clearly acted as a wake-up call. It is heartening that so much progress has been made in such a short space of time and I commend NHS Grampian for the work they have put in.”
Please complain
NORTHERN isles MP Alistair Carmichael is encouraging people who have complained about their telephone or internet providers to pass on their concerns to a new consultation.
Communications regulator Ofcom have set up the consultation on how companies handle complaints after research showed that almost a quarter of phone and internet users had made a complaint last year and one third of those complaints remained unresolved after 12 weeks.
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Mr Carmichael said: “I have many constituents approach me with their difficulties and frustrations in getting satisfactory answers from their providers when things go wrong and it is about time the providers were forced to implement measures to make it easier for the consumer to get the service they pay for.”
The consultation ends on 12 March and more information can be found at http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/condocs/complaints_procedures/ or from Mr Carmichael’s office.
More Haiti fundraising
WALLS Methodist Youth Group have joined Shetland’s efforts to raise funds to help the people of Haiti deal with the after effects of last week’s earthquake.
On Saturday the group is holding a coffee morning in the Walls public hall from 10am until 12.30pm serving “wonderful homebakes, coffee, tea and juice”.
They will be sales tables, Amanda Rae paintings, smoked mussels, face painting, name the teddy, guess the birthday of the doll, the weight of the cake, home bakes, ice cream, lucky dips and more besides.
NFU upbeat on sheep prices
THE NATIONAL Farmers Union in Scotland yesterday (Wednesday) said they were confident sheep and cattle prices would hold their own in 2010.
The union said supplies would remain “tight” and a favourable exchange rate should help the sector.
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