The National HAI Point Prevalence Survey, carried out by Health Protection Scotland, found that the prevalence of HAI was 9.5 per cent in acute hospitals and 7.3 per cent in community hospitals.

The survey, which Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing Nicola Sturgeon called “the most detailed of its kind in the world”, included every patient in every acute hospital in Scotland, as well as a sample of community hospitals, and recorded the presence of all types of infections on the day of the survey.

Sturgeon said: "For the first time, we have a true picture of the extent of infections in our hospitals.

"The comprehensive nature of the survey means that it may appear Scotland's rates of HAI are worse than elsewhere. This is not necessarily the case - like for like comparisons with other countries, including England and Norway, show that Scotland's rates are similar.

"But HAI is a serious problem that must be tackled.”

She said that it was “simply not good enough” that 9.5 per cent of patients in Scottish acute hospitals have some form of HAI and added that the £183m cost to the NHS, coupled with the massive human cost, was “unacceptable.”

She said she was determined that the new government will introduce more effective measures to combat HAI. Consequently the work of the task force set up to tackle HAI will be stepped up. So far the Scottish Executive’s HAI taskforce has been involved in developing an HAI code of practice, developing a national cleaning services specification, introducing a national hand hygiene campaign, introducing targets for board chief executives to meet and the introduction of educational initiatives like the Cleanliness Champions programme.

Sturgeon said that future focuses for the task force will include: examining the case for introducing an MRSA screening programme that would target skin and soft tissue infections, reducing blood stream infections and ensuring additional surveillance data is put to use in the areas of general medicine and care of the elderly.

Sturgeon made her comments as she visited an older people’s care unit in Glasgow. The study found that the highest numbers of HAI in acute hospitals were present in care of the elderly, medical and surgical wards, with 92 per cent of the Clostridium difficile infections recorded found in care of the elderly and medical specialities.

Sturgeon continued: "The survey has demonstrated that elderly people suffer most from these infections and I make the pledge today that elderly people will be at the heart of the Scottish government's policies to tackle HAI.

"Here at the Langlands Building at the Southern General I have seen the sterling work done by staff in preventing and dealing with hospital infections and I pay tribute to that.”

However, she added: "Tackling hospital infections is not just the job of hospital staff - everyone has a key role to play in preventing the spread of infection, patients, visitors and staff alike.

"I am determined that the measures I have announced today will see HAI tackled with renewed vigour and will result in a downturn in infection rates in our hospitals."

Conservative MSP Mary Scanlon, Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Health & Wellbeing, added: “I welcome this thorough study into the extent of healthcare associated infections [HAI], and hope that the HAI Taskforce will be as rigorous in implementing new standards and procedures to combat infection in our hospitals.

“Healthcare acquired infections not only cost £183million a year but also lead to a longer stay in hospital for patients and a subsequent increase in waiting times.

“I also hope that the HAI Taskforce will recommend procedures to include healthcare acquired infections on a death certificate when it has been a significant contributory cause of death.”

The full report is available on Health Protection Scotland's website.