Drop in superbug figures

FIGURES today reveal Ipswich Hospital failed to keep up with the national fall in MRSA cases at the end of the last financial year - but it has seen a significant drop in the past three months.

The Health Protection Agency today revealed that nationally there was a 6.4per cent reduction in cases from January to March this year, compared with the previous quarter.

Although the Ipswich Hospital figures remained static for the same period, they have since seen a 70pc reduction compared to last year.

As previously reported in The Evening Star, between April and June there were five MRSA cases at Ipswich Hospital - the government's target was six. In the same period last year there had been 17 cases.

Compared to the 12 cases in January to March, the five in the past three months is around a 60pc reduction.

Last year there were a total of 51 cases and this year the target is to have no more than 21.

A Department of Health MRSA improvement team visit last month praised the hospital for having MRSA crackdown high on its agenda.

Despite improvements in MRSA figures, the hospital is still failing to lower levels of superbug Clostridium difficile (C-diff).

It had a target of no more than 88 cases between April and June, but reported 114 - no improvement on last year.

However, Gwen Collins, the director of infection prevention and control, said a ward deep cleaning programme as part of a £400,000 investment, and other anti-infection measures including a reduction in visiting hours, should see an improvement for the coming months

She said: “The hospital is making an on-going commitment to anti-infection measures.

“The reduced visiting hours and investment has worked very well for patients.”

N Is enough being done to clampdown on superbugs at Ipswich Hospital? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN, or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk