A Suffolk hospital has received a cash boost after successfully reducing the number of healthcare associated infections.The West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds has been awarded more than £400,000 after it beat tough targets for cutting MRSA and Clostridium difficile cases.

A Suffolk hospital has received a cash boost after successfully reducing the number of healthcare associated infections.

The West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds has been awarded more than £400,000 after it beat tough targets for cutting MRSA and Clostridium difficile cases.

The NHS Trust received its first payment last year and has now been given a further £207,000 after recording only three cases of MRSA bloodstream infection against a target of seven in the period from October 2007 to March 2008.

In addition, the trust recorded 29 cases of C difficile compared with a target of 36 set by NHS East of England between January and March of this year.

Nichole Day, director for infection prevention and control, said the hospital staff were “delighted” that they had met the challenging targets.

“Tackling MRSA and C difficile have long been a key priority for the trust, and we have seen real progress over the past year. This is largely down to the dedication and skills of all of our staff, who have championed the hand washing message and shown real diligence in ensuring the hospital is kept hygienically clean at all times.”

“But we will not become complacent and will make sure the good practices already in place to limit incidents of infection are continued into the future,” she said.

The West Suffolk Hospital has used the money to improve its infection control practices with new sensor taps, steam cleaners, as well as hiring more cleaning staff and creating a specialist C diff unit.

Latest figures for April to June this year show that 22 cases of C difficile were recorded by the trust and no cases of MRSA bloodstream infection occurred.