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MRSA: North-east Region

Volume 457: debated on Wednesday 7 March 2007

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of MRSA were recorded in (a) Sunderland Royal Hospital, (b) Hartlepool University Hospital and (c) Durham University Hospital in (i) 2004, (ii) 2005 and (iii) 2006; and if she will make a statement. (121257)

The number of reports of meticillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteraemia recorded at the City Hospitals Sunderland National Health Service Foundation Trust, County Durham and Darlington Acute Hospitals NHS Trust and the North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Trust from April 2004 to September 2006 is shown in the table.

Numbers of MRSA bacteraemias April 2004-September 2006

Acute hospital trust

April 2004-March 2005

April 2005-March 2006

April-September 2006

City Hospitals Sunderland

47

47

22

North Tees and Hartlepool

13

30

21

County Durham and Darlington

47

36

29

Note:

Information on MRSA bacteraemia in individual hospitals is not published routinely, as it has only been collected at hospital level since October 2005. Prior to this date numbers of MRSA bacteraemia were recorded six-monthly by NHS acute trust only. The Department and the Health Protection Agency are currently considering the publication of the more detailed data, gained through the enhanced recording system.

Source:

Health Protection Agency (HPA)

Tackling MRSA is a priority for both the Government and the NHS. A target has been set to halve the number of MRSA bloodstream infections by 2008 with each NHS acute trust having its own target to achieve. The latest data showing MRSA numbers between January to September 2006 were published by the HPA on 30 January 2007.