Chamber and committees

The Independent Review Team (IRT) met and was briefed on 26 June 2008 with a remit to report by 31 July 2008. The IRT requested and reviewed all relevant documentation regarding cases of CDAD at the Vale of Leven Hospital over the six month time-frame and the circumstances contributing to these cases. The IRT visited the Vale of Leven Hospital on five occasions and interviewed a wide range of staff from the hospital and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. An open invitation was made through the local press for patients and their families to submit written and oral evidence to the review and meetings were held with representatives from 10 families.

Full details of the process followed by the IRT are set out in the report, Independent Review of Clostridium difficile Associated Disease at the Vale of Leven Hospital from December 2007 to June 2008, which was published on 7 August 2008.

Guidance was issued to NHS boards under cover of HDL(2005)8 asking them to ensure that an appropriate and adequate level of resource for prevention and control of infection control and communicable disease was in place.

A letter reinforcing the accountability of chief executives, for ensuring that all the appropriate policy and procedures in relation to healthcare associated infection were in place, was issued on 28 June 2008.

I also asked Kevin Woods, Chief Executive of NHS Scotland to ask Health Protection Scotland (HPS) to collate data from NHS boards on whether there were other unidentified outbreaks and excess deaths associated with CDAD (Clostridium difficile Associated Disease).

Both reports were published on 7 August 2008.

The national response time target for category B calls (serious but not life threatening) across mainland Scotland is that, by March 2009, 95% of all incidents should be reached within 14, 19 or 21 minutes depending on population density. For the locations requested, the target is 21 minutes.

The information requested has been provided by the Scottish Ambulance Service for 2007-08 and is set out in the following tables.

Notes:

1. The figures provided are for activity recorded against Arrochar, Helensburgh and Vale of Leven Stations.

2. Urgent performance is measured by the service as the crew being at the patient within 15 minutes of the agreed time in 95% of cases. The time is agreed with the GP or hospital at the time of the call request and is determined by the needs of each patient.

Beyond 2008-09, the capital plan includes provision for ongoing investment in minor schemes on a year to year basis. There are proposals for Alexandra Health Centre to be re-provided on the Vale of Leven campus in the next five years, and there is an expectation that a firm timescale for the project would emerge subject to forthcoming public consultation on the wider future of the Vale of Leven Hospital.

The provisional estimate of capital expenditure required in relation to Alexandra Health Centre re-provision is £17 million but the NHS board have still to complete a detailed business case following public consultation which will consider the costs and delivery arrangements for the project.