The Vale of Leven Hospital was the focus of the C.diff outbreak
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A report into a fatal outbreak of Clostridium difficile at a Dunbartonshire hospital said significant progress had been made.
A total of 55 people at the Vale of Leven hospital were affected by the bug, and 18 patients died, between December 2007 and June 2008.
An initial review of procedures at the hospital, published in August, found "inadequate" infection controls.
The follow-up report said improvements were now being rapidly implemented.
In their first report the independent review team, commissioned by the Scottish Government, found a lack of isolation facilitates at the hospital and said that patients were transferred between wards and to other hospitals during the outbreak.
Clostridium difficile, (C.diff), was the primary cause of death in nine patients and was also a contributory factor in another nine.
The follow-up report said infection control procedures have been improved and hospital refurbishment was on track for completion in May.
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REVIEW PANEL MEMBERSHIP
Cairns Smith - Professor of Public Health, University of Aberdeen
May Henry - Nurse Director, NHS National Services Scotland
Gabby Phillips - Consultant Microbiologist, Ninewells Hospital, Dundee
Jane Walker - Nurse Advisor, seconded from NHS Tayside
Walter Scullion - Vale of Leven patient
Michelle Stewart - Representative of Families' C. diff Justice Group
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It also found that communication about infection control among staff, patients and relatives had been improved and all senior charge nurses were taking part in a national development programme.
Aberdeen University professor Cairns Smith, who led the review, said: "It is clear that NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde have achieved a great deal over recent months they must however continue with this current level of commitment to maintain a high level of performance in infection control."
Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said: "Improving infection prevention and control is crucially important in our hospitals, both to reduce infections such as MRSA and C.diff and increase patient confidence in the healthcare system.
"The original report into what happened at the Vale of Leven highlighted a number of important shortcomings which required to be addressed urgently. This is happening not just in Greater Glasgow and Clyde but throughout the NHS in Scotland.
She added: "While it is heartening that the review team found that such significant improvements have already been made at the Vale of Leven, it is vital that we continue to build on this.
"I expect health boards across the country to learn the lessons of what happened at the Vale."
Police investigation
Last month families who lost relatives in the Clostridium difficile outbreak at the Vale of Leven Hospital took their plea for a public inquiry to Holyrood.
They won the backing of MSPs on the Scottish Parliament's petitions committee.
Ms Sturgeon had said she would not rule out a public inquiry into the fatal outbreak.
Strathclyde Police and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have launched parallel investigations and aim to report to the procurator fiscal by March 2009.
Labour have renewed their calls for a full public inquiry into the outbreak.
Dumbarton MSP Jackie Baillie said: "I welcome the progress identified by the follow-up review into procedures at the Vale of Leven Hospital, but it is absolutely clear that we still need a public inquiry to give the families the answers that they deserve.
"Even Professor Cairns Smith, the report's main author, has admitted that the short investigation he led during the summer did not have enough time to get to the bottom of every aspect.
"We need a public inquiry to learn lessons so that other Scottish hospitals avoid a similar serious outbreak."
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