Health: C Difficile

Lord Goodlad
asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many cases of Clostridium difficile were reported in National Health Service hospitals in (a) 2005, and (b) 2006.[HL1420]

The Minister of State, Department of Health (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath)
Since January 2004, all acute National Health Service trusts in England have been obliged to report all cases of Clostridium difficile associated disease in patients aged 65 and over under the mandatory surveillance scheme.

National, regional and individual trust data were published for the years 2004 and 2005 (the latest available data) in Mandatory surveillance of healthcare associated infections report 2006 on the Health Protection Agency's (HPA) website: www.hpa.org.uk/infections/topics_az/hai/MandSurvHCAI2006.pdf

The annual total of Clostridium difficile- associated disease in adults aged 65 was 51,690 cases in 2005.

Data for 2006 were published by the HPA on 30 January 2007 and can be found at: www.hpa. org.uk/hpa/news/articles/press_releases/2007/070130_mrsa.htm.