To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many products to tackle MRSA the Rapid Review Panel has given Level one recommendation to; and if she will make a statement. (108777)

The Rapid Review Panel has given three products a recommendation one. Of these three products, two products, ChloraPrep and Bardex IC—silver alloy coated hydrogel catheters, are related to the control of MRSA. Details are published on the Health Protection Agency’s website at

www.hpa.org.uk/infections/topics_az/rapid_review/default.htm

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of how hospital acquired infections such as MRSA are transmitted; and if she will make a statement. (108778)

Health care associated organisms such as meticillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) are caused by a wide variety of micro organisms and can spread by a variety of routes. However available evidence indicates that inadequately cleaned hands of health care workers are a major route. This is why we introduced the national ‘cleanyourhands’ campaign to minimise the risk to patient safety of low compliance with hand hygiene by national health service staff through a national strategy of improvement.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many MRSA infections were reported in hospitals in each of the last five years for which figures are available. (108779)

The number of Meticillin Resistant Staohylococcus Aureus (MRSA) infections, (bacteraemia reports) for each of the last five years is set out in the table.