| ver the debate over NHS funding and efficiency is | | | | wards." |
| raised the controversy surrounding hospital | | | | Both infections are preventable and treatable if |
| cleanliness and the reported explosion in bugs and | | | | identified and dealt with soon enough. The |
| hospital contracted infections is rarely far behind. | | | | Government's target, set in March 2004, is to |
| It’s hardly surprising as more than | | | | halve the number of MRSA cases. As part of |
| 100,000 patients are reported to contract | | | | their offensive on the scourge of super bugs the |
| superbug infections every year - costing the NHS | | | | government has overseen over the last 5 years |
| an estimated £1 billion plus. Figures show | | | | the appointment of infection control managers |
| that record numbers of people are dying from | | | | responsible for hospital cleanliness. Improvements |
| either MRSA, the drug-resistant bug that infects | | | | to date are reported to have been modest. |
| surgical wounds, or from Clostridium Difficile (C | | | | Amongst various measures put in place hospitals |
| Diff), a virulent form of diarrhea. In fact death | | | | recently benefited from £40 million 'deep |
| certificates for 2006 showed that more than | | | | clean' however subsequent analysis revealed that |
| 8,000 patients died from superbug infections in | | | | since the campaign nearly a quarter of health |
| England and Wales alone. | | | | trusts have still failed to meet basic hygiene |
| More than 55,000 cases (that's more than 1,000 | | | | standards. According to the annual 'health check' |
| new cases every seven days) of C Diff occur | | | | of English NHS trusts by the Healthcare |
| each year and the number is rising. More people | | | | Commission, 103 NHS trusts out of 391 are |
| die from C.diff than die on our roads, with one in | | | | breaching guidelines brought in to tackle these |
| 250 death certificates citing C. difficile as a | | | | hospital-acquired infections. In reality the figure |
| contributory or main factor. | | | | might be even higher. Of the 103 trusts that now |
| National statistics reveal a dramatic increase in | | | | admit falling short on at least, 63 had been |
| deaths from MRSA with MRSA mentioned on one | | | | non-compliant the previous year. The commission |
| in every 500 death certificates. Most of the | | | | has warned trusts they have 10 months to |
| deaths involving MRSA were in the older age | | | | improve before a new regulator comes into force. |
| groups with deaths involving MRSA in the 85 and | | | | Yet when hospital managers take control of the |
| over age group 916 and 417 deaths per million | | | | situation, outcomes can improve. Speaking in the |
| population for males and females respectively. In | | | | Daily Mail recently Edwina Currie cited her |
| the under 45 age group male and female deaths | | | | experience of The Royal Worcester Hospital |
| were 3 and 2 per million respectively. | | | | where all its old commodes and every mattress |
| Patients Association chairman Michael Summers | | | | had been replaced. Infection rates dramatically fell. |
| expressed concern with the trend commenting to | | | | She also recommended the thorough sterilization |
| the BBC: "We are disappointed by these new | | | | of equipment, clean uniforms and in particular |
| figures. It is clear that MRSA and hospital | | | | staff washing their hands before they touch a |
| infections are winning the war in many of our | | | | patient as essential preventative measures. |