Rise in Far North superbug cases
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
FOURTEEN cases of a superbug were diagnosed in the Far North in the past year, an increase of five on 2010/11.
The figures – outlined at a meeting of the North Highland Community Health Partnership committee on Tuesday – included six at Caithness General Hospital in Wick.
Members heard one patient with the clostridium difficile (C. diff) bug died – although it was stressed it was not a contributory factor in the death and was not recorded on the death certificate.
Clinical nurse manager Lorraine Coe told the meeting that four of the 14 patients were under 65 years. Two cases were isolated within the same ward although no links were identified.
According to the figures, six of the patients were in Caithness General, three were in the Lawson Community Hospital in Golspie, two were in nursing homes and three occurred within the community.
"All cases were fully investigated with support from the infection control department and there was no evidence of them being connected," said Ms Coe.
"Following the outbreak of clostridium difficile at Raigmore Hospital in Inverness we are looking at what can be learned and share that throughout the CHP.
"Within Caithness General, we have completed a check of all commodes, ensured compliance with cleaning schedules and instructed estates to check all the silicone sealants on toilets, showers and sinks and replace them if the seal is breached."
The 14 cases identified in 2011/12 were higher than in the two previous years. The number in 2010/11 was nine while it was 10 the year before.
Earlier, Ms Coe said there were five cases of staphylococcus aureus, including MRSA, at Caithness General in 2011/12. That was an increase compared to the two previous years.
The figures for 2010/11 and 2009/10 were four and three respectively. There were no cases recorded in any of the three years at the Dunbar Hospital in Thurso, the Town and County Hospital in Wick, the Migdale Hospital in Bonar Bridge and the Lawson in Golspie.
Asked why the problem only affected Caithness General, an NHS spokeswoman said it is because the Wick hospital is bigger and carries out procedures not undertaken at the others. "Overall, NHS Highland has one of the lowest infection rates in Scotland," she added.
Meanwhile, a ward at Raigmore Hospital has been closed to admissions following an outbreak of C. diff.
The infection is currently confined to ward 2C which treats cancer patients. Those affected are being treated in isolation.
A health spokeswoman said a number of measures have been put in place to control the situation, including increasing the frequency of routine cleaning and ongoing intensive surveillance throughout the hospital.
Health budget overspent by £780k
HEALTH services in the Far North incurred an overspend of £780,000 in the last financial year.
Figures divulged at Tuesday’s meeting of the North Highland Community Health Partnership committee show spending in Caithness and Sutherland on health was projected to be £43,744,000 in 2011/12. But the actual amount was £44,524,000, committee members heard.
CHP head of finance Ross MacKenzie pointed out there was a total overspend of £495,000 in services provided in Caithness with an excess of £80,000 going on the North CHP’s out-of-hours service.
There was an overspend of £59,000 on porters, catering, domestic and cleaning staff, while a savings target of £1,066,000 was not met.
However, there was an underspend of £610,000 in east and north-west Sutherland, while expenditure on management costs fell by £310,000, resulting in an overall overspend of £780,000.
CHP chairman Colin Punler described the overspend as "unsatisfactory". "We wanted to break even," he said. Landward Caithness councillor David Flear stated that while the financial position is important so is the quality of the service provided.
"It is difficult to provide quality services and make financial savings. The patient experiences here are very positive," he said.
Meanwhile, members also heard that in the current financial year (2012/13) NHS Highland has to make savings of £23.8 million – the third biggest cut after NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and NHS Lothian which are to reduce their budgets by £58m and £27m respectively.
NHS Highland has a budget of around £670m so the £23.8m savings it has to make in 2012/2013 is equivalent to 3.55 per cent of the budget, it was stated.
A total of £8.9m of that figure is savings from previous years which have not been delivered, including £1,475,000 from the Far North.
GP prescribing in Caithness and Sutherland was overspent by £143,000 at the end of the last financial year.
In Caithness the figure was £473,000 but there was a respective underspend of £183,000 and £147,000 in east Sutherland and north-west Sutherland, resulting in an overall overspend of £143,000.
