MRSA levels at seven year low

Buy photos » Matron Amanda Moore uses one of the alcohol gel dispensers which have helped reduce the number of cases of MRSA and other hospital superbugs. (s)

THE NUMBER of cases of a hospital superbug have fallen to a seven year low.

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust reported in 2011/12 just three patients had been identified with MRSA and as having picked it up in hospital, compared with 22 in 2004/05.

Nationally the number of people dying from the superbug is at a 15 year low.

It follows the news reported by the Standard in August that cases of another hospital superbug, C Difficile, had more than halved over the last four years.

Numerous measures have been put in place to drive down the number of cases of MRSA, a germ which can be harmlessly carried by people on thier skin and in their nose without causing infection. It can cause abscesses, boils and wound infections, particularly in people who are already unwell.

Screening for all eligible inpatients was introduced nationally in March 2011 and rescreening for any patient in hospital for more than one month was brought in by the Trust as an extra precaution.

People carrying MRSA are then offered treatment.

Other measures introduced include encouraging patients and visitors to regularly wash their hands and to use antibacterial hand-gel, restricting visitors to two per patient at any one time and urging people not to visit hospitals if they themselves are unwell.

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