Nottingham trust reduces number of MRSA cases
Nottingham's two main hospitals had fewer MRSA cases last year, but more of the bug C. difficile, managers have said.
Five cases of MRSA were reported at Queen's Medical Centre and Nottingham City Hospital in 2010 compared to 21 in the previous year.
But the number of C. difficile cases rose from 201 to 225.
Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust said the hospitals had a stretch of 140 days without a new MRSA case.
"In the last year we have also expanded MRSA screening to all elective, emergency and day case patients. By the year-end we were screening over 95% of patients," spokeswoman Linda Abolins said.
She said the hospitals had "largely stopped infection between patients (cross-infection) and from the environment by good hand hygiene and isolation, and by on-going deep cleans and targeted cleaning".
"We must scrupulously maintain the very highest hygiene, learning and isolation practices."
She said the trust was aiming to have fewer than 158 C. difficile cases in the next year.