Health Secretary Shona Robison has pledged to take all the steps needed to ensure that a tragedy such as that of the deadly Vale of Leven Clostridium difficile (C.diff) outbreak does not happen again.

Ms Robison also repeated her apology to the patients and families affected by the outbreak, which was the subject of a highly-critical report published yesterday.

She told MSPs: "The NHS failed the 34 patients who died at the Vale of Leven Hospital, it failed the patients who suffered due to the outbreak of C difficile, and it failed the families of those patients too.

"Our NHS failed all of these patients and their families, and for me, and I am sure for everyone here today, that is deeply regrettable and I am sorry on behalf of the Scottish Government."

She added: "As the minister now responsible for the NHS, I am pledging my commitment to you today that we will take all necessary steps to ensure that a tragedy of this magnitude can never happen again."

An inquiry was set up in 2009 to investigate the treatment of patients at the hospital in West Dunbartonshire.

It revealed C.diff was a factor in the death of 34 out of 143 patients who had tested positive for the infection at the hospital during the period January 1 2007 to December 31 2008.

Inquiry chairman Lord MacLean said the true figure could be higher still as medical records were not available for all the patients who died during the period.

He found ''serious personal and systemic failures'', stating that patients at the hospital had been "badly let down" by people at different levels of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. He added that overall responsibility rested with the health board.

''The Scottish ministers bear ultimate responsibility for NHS Scotland and, even at the level of the Scottish Government, systems were simply not adequate to tackle effectively a healthcare-associated infection like CDI," he said.

Ms Robison said the Government accepted all 75 of Lord MacLean's recommendations.

She said many of the recommendations have been completed, or are already under way, and an implementation group will be set up to ensure the remainder are put in place.

Ms Robison said a national healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) taskforce was in place to improve and reduce HAIs.

In 2009 an inspection process was established to undertake unannounced inspections while a "robust system" enabling health boards to recognise and manage outbreaks as they happen, closing wards if required, has also been established.

Outbreaks are reported to Health Protection Scotland for monitoring and can be escalate to the Scottish Government if required.

"Work to date has led to a significant reduction in C difficile rates across Scotland's hospitals, which have been at their lowest level this year with an 82% reduction in cases in the over-65s since 2007," Ms Robison said.

"Lord MacLean's report provides clear direction on how we can build further on this progress."

She said NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has been quick to learn the lessons.

"It has continued to work hard to reduce the incidence of healthcare-associated infections within their hospitals and now lead the way in reducing their occurrence," she added.

Ms Robison has written to all other health boards asking them to consider the implications of report and respond by January 19.

She will provide the Scottish Government's full response to Parliament in the spring.

Ms Robison added: "I'm absolutely confident that we will not see another situation that we saw at the Vale of Leven Hospital. The mechanisms we now have in place pick up outbreaks.

"People should take confidence from that because the last thing that I want to see from this very tragic report and very disturbing report is for patients to be worried about going into hospital.

"Our NHS is a very different institution now and very different than it was in 2007, and patients should have the confidence, particularly elderly patients, when they go into hospital that everything is done to minimise any chance of them acquiring an infection while they are getting their treatment."

Jackie Baillie, the Dumbarton Labour MSP who was involved in the families' campaign to have a public inquiry, broke down as she paid tribute to their "determination and dignity".

She said: "It has been seven years since the first deaths at the Vale, five years for the public inquiry to report and I welcome the robust recommendations.

"The cost of the inquiry is in excess of £10 million but the offer of compensation to the families, the victims of all of this, is about £1 million.

"Although the families are solely motivated by the desire to ensure that this doesn't happen to anybody else in Scotland, I cannot help but feel that justice has not yet been done."

She called on Ms Robison to outline what action could be taken to ensure the level of compensation is reviewed.

The Cabinet Secretary said: "These are very sensitive discussions but I have made very clear to the health board that I would expect them to be as helpful as they possibly can in their discussions with the families as they go forward."

Labour's health spokesman Neil Findlay said everyone who had read Lord MacLean's report would be "extremely concerned and disturbed".

He said: "It is a truly shocking report that in a hospital of only 136 beds at least 34 people lost their lives to C.diff, maybe more.

"The families of the victims, as Lord MacLean said, have been fully vindicated in demanding the inquiry and we should pay tribute to them for their perseverance and their commitment to their deceased loved ones."

Conservative MSP Nanette Milne extended her condolences to the families and welcomed the thoroughness of the report.

She said: "The failings at health board and government level to provide an adequate infection and inspection system will not be forgotten by families and patients in Greater Glasgow and Clyde NHS."

Ms Milne said that infection control across the NHS in Scotland depended on responsible antibiotic prescribing, meticulous hygiene and ensuring that all NHS staff have a clear understanding of how to prevent infections.

"The responsibility for this lies with everyone involved in the care of patients," she said.

Liberal Democrat health spokesman Jim Hume said: "There have been criticisms of delays and whilst they may be valid it's right that the time was taken to get this right."

He called for reassurance over levels of staff and the skills mix on wards, in light of two of the recommendations in the report.

Mr Hume said: "Given the pressures we know exist in some areas in attracting and maintaining consultants and lead clinicians, what does the Government propose to do to ensure that the skills mix meets demand at all times?"

Ms Robison said all of the recommendations on staffing would be implemented.