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Guidance to NHS boards is provided in the Standard Infection Control Precautions model policies produced by Health Protection Scotland (HPS). HPS is currently drafting new overarching national guidance on Clostridium Difficile Associated Disease (CDAD) which will set out the containment measures that should be used for patients with Clostridium difficile. As advised in previous answers, the Scottish Government''s HAI Task Force has been informed by HPS that the draft CDAD guidance will be provided to them in September 2008.

No. The Rapid Review Panel assesses equipment, materials and other products that may be of value to the NHS as a whole, including NHS Scotland.

Investigations by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde into cases of Clostridium difficile were on-going in late May 2008 and I was being kept regularly informed of the situation that was emerging. As evidence was still being gathered, and as the situation was being actively managed by the board public health professional team with specialist advice from Health Protection Scotland, it would not have been appropriate for me to intervene in that process by instructing a look back exercise any earlier than June.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-15205 on 18 August 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

There are different types of public inquiry, but under the Inquiries Act 2005 a Minister (including the Scottish Ministers) may cause an inquiry to be held where it appears that (a) particular events have caused, or are capable of causing, public concern, or (b) there is public concern that particular events may have occurred.

Ministers therefore have the power to instigate inquiries themselves, rather than simply calling for them to be held. The Scottish Ministers can do so if the subject-matter is concerned wholly or primarily with a matter that relates to Scotland and is not a reserved matter within the meaning of the Scotland Act 1998.

The report of the independent external clinical review of anaesthetic services at the Vale of Leven Hospital was published on Friday 15 August.

A copy of the report is available at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/924/0064627.pdf.

Scottish Power advises that its meter replacement programme is progressing with 81% of prepayment customers in Scotland now having key meters which can be re-calibrated remotely meaning that the issue of back-charging does not arise. The programme is due to be completed by September 2009.

Scottish Power assures me that they make every effort to gain access to homes to recalibrate meters and if they are not satisfied that proper procedures for meter reading and timeous re-calibration of meters has been carried out they will waive back-charges.

I await the findings of Ofgem''s probe into the energy supply market which is expected in September. The probe is intended to make sure that the market is working well for all customers, including those on pre-payment meters.

I am advised by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde that one of the two patients who died in June 2008 tested positive for clostridium difficile on 29 April 2008. The second patient was confirmed clostridium difficile positive on 12 June 2008 and died the next day.

NHS Grampian and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde notified Health Protection Scotland (HPS) in accordance with the guidance set out in Annex 4 of the 2003 guidance document Managing Incidents Presenting Actual and Potential Risks to Public Health: Guidance on Roles and Responsibilities of Incident Control Teams. The guidance sets out the circumstances under which HPS should be informed of incidents and outbreaks. On (a) and (b) the Scottish Government was notified of the cases by Health Protection Scotland on 13 May and I was kept regularly briefed by my officials thereafter. Health Protection Scotland were proactive on the matter and sent a letter to all NHS boards on 14 May 2008 to reinforce advice on the measures to control Clostridium difficile and a News Release was issued by them on 15 May 2008. On (c) I refer the member to the question S3W-14687 answered on 24 July 2008.

All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

I am advised by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde that £1.1million of capital-related investment was made in 2006-2007 and 2007-2008.

I refer the member to the answer to questions S3W-14368 and S3W-14685 on 14 July and 23 July 2008 respectively. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found: at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.