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07/03/2005
MRSA cases 'lowest ever recorded'
MRSA infection rates are at their lowest since recording began, Health Secretary John Reid has announced.
The Health Secretary welcomed the figures, published by the Health Promotion Agency (HPA), but he admitted that there was "still much more to do".
Mr Reid announced the latest measures in the fight against the superbug – a pilot of a new rapid swab technique, which the Health Secretary said would help identify patients infected with MRSA "within hours rather than days". He said: "This will be particularly important in discovering if MRSA is coming into our hospitals with patients, for example, when they are transferred from care homes."
Mr Reid also said that the HPA would now publish data on MRSA every six months, in order to keep the public up-to-date with the situation.
The Health Secretary admitted that the UK's MRSA problem could be partly attributed to a failure to "nip it in the bud" when it re-merged years ago, leading to a growth from 4% resistance in the early 1990s to around 30% in 1997. However, Mr Reid said that the UK had "particularly virulent" strains of MRSA, which had also contributed to the problem. He said: "MRSA remains a problem, we are taking action on it, and this action is having an effect."
The government has launched a series of initiatives in order to tackle the MRSA problem, including the introduction of the Matron's Charter – an action plan for cleaner hospitals – the provision of infection prevention and control teams for all hospital trusts and the launch of a national hand cleaning campaign, 'cleanyourhands' throughout the NHS.
The Health Secretary said: "No stone is being left unturned in the battle against the superbug. We are improving cleaning standards, piloting the latest science, rolling out 'cleanyourhands' and making sure infection control is a fully staffed priority for every NHS trust."
However, the Conservatives have accused the government of "pre-election trickery". Shadow Health Secretary, Andrew Lansley said that the new figures failed to give "a full and rounded picture" of the situation.
(KMcA/SP)
The Health Secretary welcomed the figures, published by the Health Promotion Agency (HPA), but he admitted that there was "still much more to do".
Mr Reid announced the latest measures in the fight against the superbug – a pilot of a new rapid swab technique, which the Health Secretary said would help identify patients infected with MRSA "within hours rather than days". He said: "This will be particularly important in discovering if MRSA is coming into our hospitals with patients, for example, when they are transferred from care homes."
Mr Reid also said that the HPA would now publish data on MRSA every six months, in order to keep the public up-to-date with the situation.
The Health Secretary admitted that the UK's MRSA problem could be partly attributed to a failure to "nip it in the bud" when it re-merged years ago, leading to a growth from 4% resistance in the early 1990s to around 30% in 1997. However, Mr Reid said that the UK had "particularly virulent" strains of MRSA, which had also contributed to the problem. He said: "MRSA remains a problem, we are taking action on it, and this action is having an effect."
The government has launched a series of initiatives in order to tackle the MRSA problem, including the introduction of the Matron's Charter – an action plan for cleaner hospitals – the provision of infection prevention and control teams for all hospital trusts and the launch of a national hand cleaning campaign, 'cleanyourhands' throughout the NHS.
The Health Secretary said: "No stone is being left unturned in the battle against the superbug. We are improving cleaning standards, piloting the latest science, rolling out 'cleanyourhands' and making sure infection control is a fully staffed priority for every NHS trust."
However, the Conservatives have accused the government of "pre-election trickery". Shadow Health Secretary, Andrew Lansley said that the new figures failed to give "a full and rounded picture" of the situation.
(KMcA/SP)
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UK MRSA problem caused by contagious 'clones'
The MRSA epidemic plaguing Britain's hospitals may be due to extremely transmissible contagious clones of the superbug, a scientist has claimed. Dr Mark Enright, from the University of Bath, also said that better hospital hygiene would not be enough to prevent the spread of the infection.
UK MRSA problem caused by contagious 'clones'
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