Public Health Scotland figures released this week have shown an increase in hospital-acquired Covid-19, with 61 new definite cases of hospital-acquired infections in the week ending 11 October, up from only 13 in the previous week.

The report from PHS also showed that a further 33 cases had been recorded as probably hospital-acquired covid cases. Sixteen of these probable cases and 42 of the definite cases were recorded by the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Health Board.

It comes on the back of reports that senior doctors at the Glasgow Royal Infirmary have raised concerns about the suitability of the building for robust infection prevention and control, and warnings from John Thomson, vice president of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine Scotland, that the Scottish NHS faces a danger of overcrowding from bed shortages and severely restricted capacity as the NHS faces its toughest winter yet.

Jackie Baillie MSP for Dumbarton, Vale of Leven, Helensburgh & Lomond said:

“This is a worrying development and more proof that the Scottish Government needs to get its act together to ensure our local hospitals  across Greater Glasgow & Clyde are safe.

“We cannot have a situation where people in West Dunbartonshire or Argyll & Bute, who urgently need care, cannot even risk going into hospital for fear of contracting COVID-19.

“Our health service is operating beyond capacity with the pandemic leaving no room at all to cope when seasonal illnesses strike.

“It is a disaster waiting to happen. The SNP Government has failed our elderly people with the care homes fiasco and we simply cannot risk another wave of the pandemic in care settings – lessons must be learned.”

NOTES FOR EDITORS:

 Warnings from the Royal College of Emergency Medicine: https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/emergency-docs-warn-scots-hospitals-22951822

Doctor concerns over virus control in old hospital: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-54748252

Hospital onset COVID-19 cases in Scotland 28 October 2020

Data available from PHS: https://beta.isdscotland.org/find-publications-and-data/population-health/covid-19/hospital-onset-covid-19-cases-in-scotland/

The total number of COVID-19 cases reported to ARHAI Scotland, this week (week ending 11 October 2020) was 7,710. Of these:

• 33 (0.4%) was reported as probable hospital onset (first positive specimen on days 8 to 14 of admission to NHS board). In the previous week (week ending 04 October 2020) there were 13 (0.3%). 16 of cases this week were reported in NHS GG&C
• 61 (0.8%) were reported as definite hospital onset (first positive specimen date was 15 or more days after admission to NHS board). In the previous week (week ending 04 October 2020) there were 13 (0.3%). 42 of cases this week were reported in NHS GG&C.