Screening plan for superbug
From next year patients will be interviewed on or before admission to determine if they are at risk from the bug.
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Hide AdQuestions include whether they had the infection before, if they arrived from a hospital or care home, if they have a wound, or if they have a device such as a catheter fitted.
Anyone who answers "yes" to any question will then be swabbed for MRSA.
Patients in five high-risk areas - renal, cardiothoracic, vascular, intensive care and orthopaedics - will be routinely tested using swabbing.
Yesterday health secretary Nicola Sturgeon said: "I've made tackling healthcare-associated infections, such as MRSA, a priority and we've put in place a range of measures which are driving infection rates down.
"MRSA screening is already used throughout Scotland but I have today accepted the expert group's recommendations to put in place national minimum requirements that will extend the scope of our existing approach."