To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she is taking to improve the consistency of (a) testing and (b) reporting of cases of Clostridium difficile under the mandatory surveillance system. (115022)

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) collects data for the surveillance of Clostridium difficile associated disease on behalf of the Department.

In order to improve the quality and consistency of the data, the HPA published criteria for testing and reporting Clostridium difficile under the mandatory surveillance scheme. Microbiology laboratories should test diarrhoeal stools from all patients over 65 years who have not been diagnosed in the past four weeks for evidence of Clostridium difficile associated diarrhoea, by testing specimens for Clostridium difficile toxin using either an immunoassay for both toxin A and toxin B, or a neutralised cell toxicity assay. This requirement was re-emphasised in the professional letter from the Chief Medical Officer, Chief Nursing Officer, Chief Pharmacist and Chief Executive of the national health service in December 2006.

The data for reporting are taken by trusts for their pathology laboratory information management systems and submitted to the HPA. The criteria for reporting were re-stated in the professional letter.

Robust pathology systems are in place to ensure effective reporting.

Note:

Mandatory surveillance of health care associated infections report 2006, www.hpa.org.uk/infections/topics_az/hai/Mand SurvHCAI2006.pdf