MRSA: Meeting NHS superbug target is not the end of the story, says Euro-MP

2.45.00pm UTC (GMT +0000) Thu 18th Sep 2008

Local Euro-MP Liz Lynne has given a cautious welcome to the further reduction in MRSA levels announced today by the Health Protection Agency, but said no-one should rest on their laurels in the fight against avoidable hospital infections.

Reported cases of MRSA infections fell from 966 in the first quarter of 2008, to 834 during April to June. Cases of MRSA reported by West Midlands region hospital trusts fell from 112 to 89 during the same period.

The figures come just days since the Euro-MP hosted an expert meeting on hospital superbugs at the Liberal Democrat Party conference. At the meeting, there were calls for a massive public information campaign similar to the AIDS awareness campaign in the 1980s, to help tackle healthcare associated infections.

Liz Lynne, who is Vice President of the Employment and Social Affairs Committee in the European Parliament and campaigns on public health issues said:

"The Government are in celebratory mood because their target has been met, but let's not forget that they only met it by shifting the goalposts from their original target of March, and that the target itself is arbitrary.

"The fact is that there are too many avoidable infections in hospitals, so we shouldn't be too happy that there were still hundreds of MRSA cases during April to June. In addition, C-Difficile levels have recently increased, so there is still much work to do."

On lessons to be learned from elsewhere in the EU, Liz added:

"The UK continues to have one of the worst records on superbugs in Europe and so it is vital that the examples of countries that have tackled these infections are followed. The UK needs to implement programmes from the likes of the Netherlands and Finland, for instance the comprehensive screening of all patients, including accident and emergency admissions.

"I have been leading calls in the European Parliament for an EU wide code of best practice on healthcare associated infections and I am delighted that the European Commission has now said it will take this forward."

ENDS

More information on Liz Lynne's meeting on superbugs at the Liberal Democrat Party conference: http://www.lizlynne.org.uk/news/001087/lives_depend_on_nhs_learning_the_lessons_to_control_superbugs.html

The MRSA figures by hospital trust published today can be accessed here: http://www.hpa.org.uk/web/HPAweb&Page&HPAwebAutoListName/Page/1191942126541