To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average number of cases of MRSA recorded in NHS hospitals was in 2007; and how many such cases were recorded at the University Hospital of North Durham in the same period. (178713)

[holding answer 30 January 2008]: The best available information is from the mandatory surveillance system operated for the Department by the Health Protection Agency (HPA). This provides data on the number of reports of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bloodstream (bacteraemia) infections. All acute national health service trusts in England are obliged to report all cases of MRSA bacteraemia infection processed by their laboratories and the data are published at trust level.

MRSA bacteraemia data are currently available for the first three quarters of 2007 only (January to September). During these nine months, 3,823 episodes of MRSA bacteraemia were reported by acute NHS trusts in England.

University Hospital of North Durham is part of County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust, which reported 34 episodes of MRSA bacteraemia between January and September 2007.

The HPA does not publish average counts for comparative purposes, as this does not take account of differences between trusts in terms of factors such as size and case mix. National and trust rates are published which allow more valid comparison by taking account of variations in levels of activity.

During the nine-month period January 2007-September 2007, the MRSA bacteraemia rate at County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust was 1.45 cases per 10,000 bed-days, compared to a national rate of 1.34 cases per 10,000 bed-days.