Born in 1946 and brought up in Cupar, Fife, I was educated at the local school - 
Banff & Buchan MSP Stewart Stevenson today welcomed the introduction of pilot project to screen patients for MRSA before admission to hospital.
From this summer, all non-emergency admissions to NHS Grampian hospitals will be screened for MRSA as part of the pre-admission procedures.
If the pilot is successful screening will be rolled out across the NHS in Scotland from 2009-10.
Commenting on the pilot project Mr Stevenson said:
"MRSA and Healthcare Associated Infection (HAI) in general have become a real issue in the provision of effective health care in our hospitals in recent years. The Scottish Government is determined to do all we can to minimise the risk of contracting MRSA not only in the hospitals around Banff & Buchan but throughout the country.
"This programme will see a simple swab as part of the pre-admission process. This is all it takes to establish whether a patient has MRSA. Many people carry the bug on their skin or in their nose but it is only when it enters an open wound that it causes problems - that is why we are introducing screening for hospital patients.
“I feel this pilot project is one that has the potential to really cut down the incidence of HAI and I am pleased that the people of Banff & Buchan will be the first to benefit. In tandem with initiatives such as our national hand hygiene campaign and a new reporting system for C.diff, MRSA screening will help us meet our target to reduce Staph.aureus blood infections by 2010."
Karen Adam is now the MSP for Banffshire and Buchan Coast
