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| Too many hospitals ‘losing
the superbug battle’, says MP
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The report finds that, a quarter of
hospital Trusts have cut their MRSA infection rates, a further 12 per cent of Trusts saw their MRSA infection rates increase |
Commenting on the publication of the National Audit Office report on reducing hospital-acquired infections in England, South Norfolk MP Richard Bacon, a member of the Commons public accounts committee, said:
“The Department of Health has spent £120 million on tackling hospital-acquired infections and met its target to cut MRSA
bloodstream infection rates in half by 2008.” |
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“However, the picture across England is patchy and the report makes it clear that some hospitals are losing the battle against MRSA and C. difficile. Whilst a quarter of hospital Trusts have cut their MRSA infection rates, a further 12 per cent of Trusts saw their MRSA infection rates increase and, for C. difficile, infection rates rose at one in five Trusts.” “What’s more, whilst the Department of Health has focused on fighting MRSA and C. difficile, other hospital-acquired infections may be on the rise.” “Any progress in making hospitals cleaner and safer is welcome, but the government must work harder to help those hospitals still struggling to beat MRSA and C. difficile. The Department of Health also needs to boost infection prevention and control measures in order to stop less well known hospital-acquired infections from taking hold.” Mr Bacon, a member of the Commons public accounts committee, was speaking as the National Audit Office published its report on hospital-acquired infections in England. The Department of Health has spent some £120 million on tackling hospital-acquired infections, and introduced a target to reduce MRSA across all NHS trusts by 50 per cent by 2008 and C. difficile by 30 per cent by 2010-11. MRSA had been reduced by 57 per cent by the end of March 2008 and C. difficile by 41 per cent. While a quarter of trusts have reduced MRSA by more than 80 per cent, in 12 per cent of trusts there has been an increase in MRSA infections. Twenty-nine per cent of trusts have reduced C. difficile by more than 50 per cent, but in 19 per cent of hospital trusts the numbers of C. difficile infections have increased. The report also finds that the information that is available suggests that other healthcare associated bloodstream infections, including ones due to other antibiotic resistant organisms, may have increased. Most staff and patients are less aware of the risks of acquiring these other infections and there is scope therefore for hospitals to improve infection prevention and control further.
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| © Richard Bacon 2010 | ||||||||
NAO REPORT: