AN EARLY warning system to alert doctors about deadly outbreaks of superbugs will not be set up in Scotland until next year.
The computer database for identifying infection outbreaks such as clostridium difficile and MRSA is, however, up and running in England, where infection rates have dropped.
But the web-enhanced surveillance system will not be in place in Scotland
until October 2009.
Officials at the Scottish Government's health surveillance body, Health Protection Scotland, will be asked to justify the delay to Health Minister Nicola Sturgeon next week.
Critics last night warned that the delay would put patients' lives at risk.
Dr Richard Simpson, Labour's health spokesman, said: "England's robust web-based reporting framework for C.diff has enabled them to cut infection rates by one third.
"I am deeply concerned that in Scotland the number of cases is still rising and the SNP Government has allowed us to fall behind.
"Put simply, Nicola Sturgeon's complacency on this issue has cost lives."
Last week Scotland on Sunday revealed moves to cut antibiotic prescribing in hospitals because of the threat of superbugs.
The web-based reporting system will allow health officials to monitor outbreaks as they happen.
It will flag up infection hot-spots, enable health boards to monitor their infection control rates and enable accurate national surveillance.
It is widely regarded by experts as being one of the best in the world as it enables doctors to keep much closer tabs on outbreaks than they are currently able to do. Insiders believe the new system could have allowed doctors to identify the recent outbreak of C.difficile at the Vale of Leven hospital in West Dunbartonshire much earlier.
Tom Divers, chief executive of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, has admitted part of the problem with the outbreak was the reporting systems in place did not bring together information from individual wards to form an overall picture.
More than 50 patients were infected and eight died but senior officials were only alerted after a retrospective health board review.
The latest figures show there were 1,861 cases of C.difficile across Scotland between January and March this year – a 16% increase on the previous three months.
Annual figures for England show cases of MRSA fell by nearly one third and C.difficile fell by 9% last year. Cases of MRSA have also fallen in Scotland over the past year, but only by a handful from 207 to 193.
C.difficile causes severe diarrhoea and can kill frail and elderly patients.
Professor Hugh Pennington, one of Scotland's leading experts in microbiology, yesterday criticised the delay.
He said: "It's crazy it has taken so long. The new system will enable someone to blow the whistle about infection outbreaks much sooner than happened at the Vale."
Last night a spokeswoman for Health Protection Scotland said the time scale for implementation was "at discussion stage". She added: "Developing these systems takes time and skill."
However, an insider said: "We need the immediate implementation of a mandatory web-based reporting system because it will save lives. It could have potentially saved lives in the Vale of Leven."
