Policy responses and statements

Name of organisation:

The Scottish Government: Healthcare Associated Infection (HAI) Task Force

Name of policy document:

The Scottish Management of Antimicrobial Resistance Action Plan (ScotMARAP) - Pre- Publication Review

Deadline for response:

11 January 2008

Background: This pre-publication review sought the College's views on the document 'The Scottish Management of Antimicrobial Resistance Action Plan (ScotMARAP)', which has been developed on behalf of the HAI Task Force by a Steering Group chaired by Professor David Lawson.

This guidance document is an update of the current 'Antimicrobial Resistance Strategy' and 'Scottish Action Plan' issued in 2002. To enable the HAI Task Force to maximise its effectiveness, views were invited on the following:

• The scope and factual content of the document;
• The format and clarify of the document;
• Whether there are any gaps in the information provided;
• The general usefulness of the document.

The major elements of ScotMARAP include:

• Establishing a communications network for NHSScotland which brings together microbiologists, infection control professionals, pharmacists, prescribers and national expert bodies (eg Health Protection Scotland, Information Services Division of National Services Scotland, NES Education for Scotland) within a new national forum.
• Ensuring robust and quality controlled systems for data gathering both for surveillance of resistant organisms and use of antimicrobial agents
• Collation, analysis and interpretation of these data at local and national level.
• Implementation and monitoring of antimicrobial prescribing policies at local and national level.
• Education and training in prudent antimicrobial prescribing.

COMMENTS ON
THE SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT: HEALTHCARE ASSOCIATED INFECTION (HAI) TASK FORCE
THE SCOTTISH MANAGEMENT OF ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE ACTION PLAN (SCOTMARAP) - PRE-PUBLICATION REVIEW

The Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh is pleased to respond to the Scottish Government’s HAI Task Force on the pre-publication review of The Scottish Management of Antimicrobial Resistance Action Plan (ScotMARAP).

The College very much welcomes the plan to coordinate the activities of the various agencies across Scotland in the battle against antibiotic resistance and would be pleased to contribute to the education challenges.

It would be important to have a lead organisation as a focus for this effort, and the College suggests that the Scottish Medicines Consortium might provide a suitable vehicle.  However, as with all networks, it would be helpful to engineer some formality into the approach with service level agreements or an equivalent to ensure clarity of role and responsibilities of the different players.

Copies of this response are available from:

Lesley Lockhart,
Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh,
9 Queen Street,
Edinburgh,
EH2 1JQ.

Tel: 0131 225 7324 ext 608
Fax: 0131 220 3939

[19 December 2007]