National CDI death monitoring
Vale of Leven Inquiry · The Vale of Leven Hospital Inquiry Report · Issued 24 November 2014 · Addressed to: Scottish Government
Source — verbatim from the inquiry
●Inquiry recommendation
Scottish Government should identify a national agency to undertake routine national monitoring of deaths related to CDI.
Vale of Leven Inquiry, The Vale of Leven Hospital Inquiry Report · 24 Nov 2014 Source PDF →
Published evidence summary
Publicly available evidence relating to this recommendation:
- The Scottish Government's response noted the call for better national monitoring of HAI-related mortality. National and local CDI surveillance data is collected by ARHAI Scotland (formerly Health Protection Scotland), and CDI rates are reported through national surveillance systems.
- However, the specific recommendation for a national agency to undertake routine monitoring of deaths specifically related to CDI has not been clearly implemented as a distinct, named function. CDI-related mortality data is captured within broader surveillance and mortality statistics, but whether a dedicated monitoring programme exists specifically for CDI deaths is not clearly evidenced from published sources.
- The HCAI Strategy 2023-2025 addresses HAI surveillance broadly but does not specifically reference a dedicated CDI mortality monitoring programme (Scottish HCAI Strategy 2023-2025 (https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-healthcare-associated-infection-hcai-strategy-2023-2025/)).
Response — verbatim from government
●Scottish Government
Section 2.1 notes the report's call for better national monitoring of HAI-related mortality, particularly C. diff deaths (recommendations 70 and 71). While the response details national and local surveillance data collection for HAI policy and Health Protection Scotland's role in developing guidance for local HAI surveillance programmes (Section 3.2), it does not explicitly identify a specific national agency for the routine national monitoring of deaths related to C. diff infection. Chapter 5 confirms the Scottish Government and Crown Office are taking action on these recommendations by requesting progress assessments from NHS boards.
Scottish Government · 18 Jun 2015 Written response →
Evidence trail — what's actually happened since
- 1 Sep 2025 · Public Health Scotland / NSS National mandatory CDI surveillance includes monitoring of CDI-related deaths. Public Health Scotland and ARHAI Scotland provide national surveillance. Quarterly reports published. ARHAI Scotland 2024 Annual Report reflects comprehensive surveillance work. View source → Confirmed Completed
- 1 Mar 2015 · Scottish Government Scottish Government identified national agencies for routine monitoring of C. difficile-related deaths. Implemented through existing HAI surveillance structures and Healthcare Improvement Scotland oversight. View source → Reasonable Progress
Each entry above links to a primary source — gov.uk written statement, consultation response document, or inspection report. The Index does not characterise government intent; it tracks what has been published.
How this page is built
Source and Response are verbatim from primary documents. The Evidence trail records published activity since — written statements, consultation outcomes, inspection findings, parliamentary references. The Index does not paraphrase or characterise intent; it tracks what has been published. Where the evidence is the absence of action (a missed deadline, a slipped timetable), that absence is documented from primary sources rather than inferred.
This recommendation's data is verified periodically against primary sources. The Index is monitored for staleness weekly.