 |
 |
 |
 |
Another big rise in hospital superbugs in the last three months
December 20, 2002 12:00 AM
Figures published today by the Public Health Laboratory Service show that in the three months up to September 2002 alone, there were 1827 reports of the "superbug" MRSA. This compares with 3515 cases over the previous six months, showing that reports are at an all time high.
If the trend remains the same for the rest of the year, there would be a total of 7169 cases, or a 46% increase on 2001. This increase is due to a combination of more reports and previous under reporting. The highest proportion of cases affected people over 65.
Paul Burstow MP, Liberal Democrat Health Team spokesman, said:
"These figures are very worrying. People go into hospital expecting to get better, not worse.
"The figures have been under reported in the past, and it is good to see that these statistics are more reliable.
"The Government's flagship Clean Hospitals Programme, which was meant to solve this problem, was simply a PR exercise. The sooner Ministers admit that, the better. Infection control should be a top priority and it should focus on hand washing and other relevant issues - not window dressing.
"There must be scrupulous attention to hygiene in our hospitals - not just spin and complacency from the Government."
ENDS
Notes to Editors
1. The rise in MRSA reports is shown in the table below, taken from figures released from the Public Health Laboratory Service (www.phls.co.uk).
Year Reports of Staphylococcus Aureus Number of reports of MRSA
1992 5049 104
1993 5741 187
1994 5960 407
1995 6587 797
1996 7795 1279
1997 9378 2290
1998 10222 2853
1999 10824 3338
2000 12103 4308
2001 13084 4904
2002 (1st 6 months) 5825 2563
2002 (July to September)1 4713 1827
Rates of MRSA in 2002 are therefore nearly 50 times higher than in 1992. Previously, the Public Health Laboratory Service's statistics on MRSA were collected voluntarily, so the totals were obviously conservative, but in 2001, the reporting of all SA and MRSA infections became mandatory. The new data now shows the full extent of the problem.
1. In response to a critical National Audit Office report, the Government trumpeted a "clean-up drive" for hospitals in Autumn 2000.
The so-called campaign kicked off with £60 million to finance the clean up of NHS hospitals. Patient Environment Action Teams (PEAT) were formed to inspect wards. This body comprised of volunteers from within the NHS and some patient groups. Their responsibility was to grade the trusts as red (poor), yellow (acceptable) or green (excellent).
To do this, the teams would look at 19 categories, but ONLY ONE PERTAINED TO HYGIENE.
The other standards were made up of such arbitrary subjects as the appearance of linen and décor, the tidy state of public areas, even CCTV in car parks, and easy to read signage.
We now have a situation where MRSA can spread almost unchecked and the taxpayers' £60 million has been spent on making hospitals look pretty.
2. A recent survey by Paul Burstow MP found that
• 61% of infection control teams felt they did not have adequate resources to carry out their role effectively - "we are severely under-resourced", and two thirds of those who felt this way explained that lack of staff was a major problem.
• 25% of infection control teams were not consulted on previous cleaning and/or catering contracts.
• Almost a third of respondents were either "quite" or "very" unsatisfied that staff were washing their hands as often as was recommended. There was some evidence that nurses were better than doctors at washing their hands "the doctors are poor".
Copies of Paul Burstow's full report are available from Emily Powell, Liberal Democrat Health Adviser, on 020 7219 5717.
What would you like to do next?
-
Subscribe for updates
Follow the party's activity on...
- Twitter:
- Liberal Democrats
- Facebook:
- Liberal Democrats
- YouTube:
- Liberal Democrats