CASES of a potentially deadly bloodstream infection spiked in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde last summer, months after a rare strain of the bacteria claimed three babies’ lives.

Health Protection Scotland said the above average rate of Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia (SAB) which affected patients treated in hospital between July and September last year “needs to be looked at further”.

A total of 93 healthcare-associated cases of SAB were recorded across the health board during the three-month period.

These were cases linked to the hospital environment, and not contracted in the community.

The incidence rate for the infection in NHS GGC - measured by the number of cases per occupied bed days – was 27 per cent higher than the average for Scotland.

NHS GGC was the only health board in Scotland with above average rates during this three-month period, although NHS Grampian was also flagged up by the watchdog over an unusual number of hospital-acquired E.coli cases.

Staphylococcus aureus is one of the most common causes of hospital-acquired infections.

A spokesman for NHS GGC said internal monitoring of the situation had shown a recent decline in SAB cases.

He said: “The safety of our patients is at the centre of all that we do which is why we have been closely monitoring the number of infections.

“We have taken a number of steps to reduce instances of healthcare associated infections relating to SAB since the noted increase in Q3 of 2019.

“Our most up to date local surveillance indicates an overall reduction of 26% in the number of such cases in the latest quarter compared to Q3 of the same year.”