"Dramatic" changes cut superbug rates at Plymouth hospital
Tuesday 2nd June 2009
"Dramatic" changes to infection control policies at Derriford Hospital in Plymouth have led to a 71 per cent reduction in MRSA bloodstream infections over the past five years, according to a report.
Figures from Derriford's draft Infection Control Annual Report, which covers April 2008 to March 2009, show there were 28 MRSA bloodstream infections over the last 12 months - an all-time low for the hospital, the Plymouth Herald stated.
Derriford also had the second-lowest rate of Clostridium difficile (C. diff) in the UK, with 160 cases over the year.
The report's authority, Dr Peter Jenks, said Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust's infection prevention and control team could be "justifiably proud" of the figures.
He added that despite the "significant progress" made, a "considerable trust-wide effort" is still needed to ensure standards are improved further in order to meet MRSA and C. diff reduction goals.
Under the Strategic Health Authority and NHS Plymouth targets, Derriford can have no more than 24 MRSA blood infections and 132 C. diff infections in 2009-10, the newspaper noted.
According to figures published last month, 80 per cent of patients rated their treatment with Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust as either excellent or very good.
Written by Alex Franklin Stortford
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