Every health board has been assessed in the report

The report by NHS Quality Improvement Scotland assessed each health board against a set of standards.

The infrastructure, training and resources in place to fight hospital acquired infections were much improved, the study said.

However, work was needed on monitoring the number of infections and ensuring hand hygiene best practice was adopted.

The study said 37% of boards complied with the requirement for "robust" monitoring, review and audit of the number of infections last year. This had risen from 18% in 2002.

We just need to keep up what we're doing and make it part of every day practice Jan Warner Quality Improvement Scotland

Compliance on monitoring best practice over hand washing rose from 13% to 28% over the same period.

In 2002, just over half of NHS Scotland met the standard which requires senior management to lead the fight against infection. By 2004, this had risen to 80%.

The report said that 68% of boards had the right organisational structures in place, such as infection control programmes and training schemes, to fight infection effectively.

Quality Improvement Scotland said it expected to see the rate coming down within the next three years and the sector was working hard to win the fight against infection.

'Substantial improvements'

Director Jan Warner said: "We've seen really substantial improvements. All NHS organisations in Scotland are leading this fight from the front.

"We've seen improved training - every new member of staff now gets routine induction, they know what they've got to do and they know how they've got to do it.

"We've seen a lot more emphasis on encouraging patients to ask about things they're concerned about and also making sure that visitors know what they should be doing.

"We just need to keep up what we're doing and make it part of every day practice."

There is still much to be don and I will be expecting to see evidence of further improvement when I chair the NHS board accountability reviews Andy Kerr Health Minister

She added that in future all hospital will have scrubbing stations where visitors will be expected to thoroughly clean their hands before coming into contact with any patients.

Health Minister Andy Kerr said: "This is a tribute to the hard work put in by infection control teams around the country and that is recognised in the report.

"However, there is still much to be done and I will be expecting to see evidence of further improvement when I chair the NHS board accountability reviews.

"Last month, statistics produced by Health Protection Scotland showed that rates of MRSA infections in Scotland remain stable.

"But we have to start driving down healthcare associated infections, including MRSA."