BOSSES at Ipswich Hospital must today be feeling as if their efforts to get on top of problems are jinxed.Just as the number of cases of MRSA are being brought down to government targets, new cases of C Diff have caused the closure of a ward.

BOSSES at Ipswich Hospital must today be feeling as if their efforts to get on top of problems are jinxed.

Just as the number of cases of MRSA are being brought down to government targets, new cases of C Diff have caused the closure of a ward.

And just when it looked as if financial constraints were starting to bring the hospital's debt under control, a new £1.7 million funding gap has opened up.

Of course these problems are totally unrelated, but their effect is to cause very serious for the management team at the hospital when they already have a challenging job.

The funding gap is a concern because it could eventually impact on the way the hospital delivers services to patients who are, by definition, vulnerable members of society.

Whatever measures are taken to stem the losses must take into account the very real needs of the most important people at the hospital - the patients.

That, of course, is also true of the battle against MRSA and C Diff.

Tackling these infections is a tough, ongoing battle for the hospital authorities. They need different tactics and different treatments for different infections.

It is vital for the confidence of patients that these infections are dealt with and, if possible, eradicated from the wards.

Going into hospital is worrying for anyone. No one wants patients to have to worry even more, about what bugs they might pick up while they are on the wards.

The battle against hospital infections must continue - today's figures show the authorities can never relax in this particular campaign.

TRUANCY is a problem which can blight children's education and can lead to problems later in life.

So it is good news that Suffolk is clamping down on an issue which has been getting steadily worse over the last few years.

Youngsters who play truant from school are not only missing out on vital education, but they are also far more likely to be involved in petty crime and anti-social behaviour.

Issuing fixed penalty notices will hopefully encourage parents to ensure that their children turn up at school - and help to eliminate truancy as a problem blighting our streets.

WHAT a difference four days can make!

When they visited Portman Road on Saturday, the Sky Blues from Coventry looked like toothless tigers whose back four were about as solid as gelatine.

Last night essentially the same team travelled to Old Trafford to take on a Manchester United team containing six internationals . . . and came home with a stunning 2-0 victory.

Does that mean Town would have beaten United 6-1? We can but dream!