By a Newsnet reporter 
SNP MSP Fiona McLeod has welcomed new statistics showing cases of MRSA are at the lowest level since 2005 – exposing earlier false claims from Labour’s health spokeperson Jackie Baillie on healthcare associated infections.
The figures from Health Protection Scotland show MRSA cases decreased by 34 per cent in comparison with the same period last year – a reduction of over 80% compared from March 2007.
By a Newsnet reporter
SNP MSP Fiona McLeod has welcomed new statistics showing cases of MRSA are at the lowest level since 2005 – exposing earlier false claims from Labour’s health spokeperson Jackie Baillie on healthcare associated infections.
The figures from Health Protection Scotland show MRSA cases decreased by 34 per cent in comparison with the same period last year – a reduction of over 80% compared from March 2007.
Ms McLeod, a member of the Scottish Parliament’s Health Committee, renewed calls for Jackie Baillie to apologise in the light of the latest figures.
Strathkelvin and Bearsden MSP Ms McLeod said:
“These are encouraging figures, showing that the hard work and dedication of our NHS staff is paying off.
“The SNP Government has already invested £50million over the past three years to tackle healthcare associated infections.
“We must ensure there is no complacency so we can continue to bring the number of infections down.
“It is encouraging to see MRSA at the lowest level since 2005 and cases of Clostridium difficile are at the third lowest since surveillance began in 2006.
“And these figures show how badly Jackie Baillie and Labour blundered by trying to brand old figures from Labour’s time in power as if they were the current ones.
“She owes NHS workers a full apology and should instead praise their hard work in helping Scotland achieve these latest figures.”
The renewed calls for an apology follow a press release by Ms Baillie at the start of this year that attacked the SNP using figures that were gathered in 2005/6, a time when Labour were in power.
In the press release Ms Baillie claimed that newly published figures showed Scotland topped a European league table of healthcare associated infections (HAIs). It subsequently emerged that the findings were based on a survey published in 2007 – with data gathered in 2005/06.