A Suffolk hospital says it will not be resting on its laurels after seeing a dramatic reduction in healthcare associated infection rates.The West Suffolk Hospital at Bury St Edmunds has had no MRSA cases in 2008 and the number of Clostridium difficile incidents has plummeted, according to the NHS Trust.
A Suffolk hospital says it will not be resting on its laurels after seeing a dramatic reduction in healthcare associated infection rates.
The West Suffolk Hospital at Bury St Edmunds has had no MRSA cases in 2008 and the number of Clostridium difficile incidents has plummeted, according to the NHS Trust.
The new figures follow a package of measures to reduce hospital superbugs, which have seen the implementation of new cleaning methods and improved hygiene.
Officials at the NHS Trust say that the number of recorded cases of MRSA bacteraemia has fallen by almost 50pc over the current financial year and C difficile cases are down 67pc over the first three months of 2008 compared to the same period last year.
Dr Caroline Barker, consultant microbiologist and infection control doctor, said: “We have made real progress in reducing the number of healthcare associated infections year- on-year. Success has depended on everyone working together, from doctors and nurses to porters and housekeepers, and embedding good hygiene practices into all that we do - all our staff are to be commended on what they have achieved.”
“We refuse to be complacent, though, as one patient affected is one too many. This year we intend to drive the numbers down still further.”
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