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Tuesday, 07 February 2006 11:39

BNN: British Nursing News Online · www.bnn-online.co.uk

Half of hospitals failing on MRSA targets

The government has revealed today that half of NHS hospital trusts in England are falling behind the target to cut rates if the MRSA superbug by 50 per cent by 2008.

Health minister Jane Kennedy said that progress in cutting rates of infection was disappointing.

The latest figures show that, in the six month period April to September 2005, there were 3,580 cases of MRSA blood stream infections reported in England, up from 3,525 for the same period the previous year.

Ms Kennedy said special teams would be sent into 20 trusts facing the greatest challenges in reducing MRSA rates.

"I am disappointed that despite many trusts making significant reductions in infections the overall figures do not reflect these improvements.

"These are early figures from the period at the very start of the comprehensive programme of action we have put in place," Ms Kennedy said.

"While 7,269 infections is a tiny fraction of the 12 million patients admitted to hospital every year, and more cases are reported now due to better surveillance, any avoidable infection is one too many."

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