ALL new hospitals in Scotland will have to provide single rooms for every patient under new health rules announced today.

Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said patients must be treated in their own rooms to prevent the spread of infections.

The £850million superhospital at the Southern General will be among the first to be built in compliance with the new regulations aimed at tackling superbugs like MRSA and clostridium difficile.

A crack team of hygiene inspectors will make surprise visits to hospitals to ensure wards are spotless.

And refurbishments, like major work planned at Monklands Hospital in Airdrie, will have to ensure at least 50% of patients have single rooms.

Ms Sturgeon had already announced a £54m package to tackle healthcare acquired infections (HAIs) after the deaths of 18 people at the Vale of Leven Hospital were linked to an outbreak of C.diff.

Conditions at Glasgow's older hospitals - including the Victoria Infirmary, where dormitory-style Nightingale Wards were the norm - have been blamed for the spread of infections, including an outbreak of the winter vomiting bug which hit hundreds of staff and patients in 2002.

Ms Sturgeon said today she was creating a Care Environment Inspectorate to make sure standards were upheld.

She added: "It's vital the public have confidence in the quality of care and treatment they receive in Scottish hospitals.

"That's why we are committed to tackling the problem of avoidable infections in our hospitals.

"I will hold boards accountable to maintain the highest possible infection prevention and control standards at all times.

"I've also accepted the recommendations of the government's steering group on single room provision. This will greatly increase the number of single rooms in hospitals, which is a great step forward in infection control and patient dignity."

But Labour health spokesman Dr Richard Simpson accused Ms Sturgeon of "complacency" over recent C.diff outbreaks and called for hospital-based reporting to let patients know how each hospital performed.

11 November 2008

Exclusive By John McCann

Reproduced with the permission of The Evening Times, Glasgow © 2008 Herald & Times Group