A health expert said patients are screened for the MRSA bug

The cardiothoracic unit at the city's Western Infirmary is not admitting new patients and 14 operations have been postponed.

NHS Greater Glasgow said there were four unrelated MRSA cases and a deep clean of the ward was taking place.

Consultant in public health medicine Dr Syed Ahmed said the infections did not constitute an outbreak.

He said: "All patients admitted to the unit are routinely screened for MRSA as standard practice so that added precautionary measures can be taken to prevent infection."

Of the 14 people due to have operations, three were diverted to another hospital to prevent delay in their surgery.

Crisis claim

One patient will be admitted for surgery at the Western Infirmary on Friday.

The remaining 10 have been rescheduled over the next two weeks.

Patients scheduled for admission on Friday will, however, be admitted as normal.

Conservative health spokeswoman Dr Nanette Milne said about 40 people a week were hit by hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) in Scotland.

She said: "We are dealing with an HAI crisis in Scotland.

"Waiting lists and times are bad enough in Scotland and the closure of this unit will do little to help the overall crisis in our hospitals, but if the local infection control team recommended the closure then I am glad that the administrators backed them up.

"Infection control teams must be given the powers to inspect every ward and close it immediately where necessary if this problem is to be dealt with before it claims even more lives unnecessarily."

Scotland 'leading field'

A Scottish Executive spokesperson said such infections were a "major concern" and that they were being tackled by a "raft of measures" including putting sisters and charge nurses back in charge of wards.

Scotland had "led the UK in this area", the spokesperson continued.

"The HAI Task Force has done a first rate job learning from best practice at home and overseas, and setting the standards which need to be met.

"That work has helped halt the rise in infection rates but they are still far too high. Health Minister Andy Kerr has indicated that he wants to see evidence of progress by Health Boards when chairing their annual accountability meetings later this year."