|
|
 |
|
| |
Top e-government news, updated daily, and regular features from the top people in the public sector.
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
| Hospital misses MRSA target |
|
One of East Anglia's busiest hospitals has been criticised for having twice as many outbreaks of MRSA last month than its intended target.
Ipswich Hospital recorded 12 cases between April and May - double its maximum target limit of six and a substantial inroad into its annual limit of 32, according to latest figures.
West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds, with an annual limit of 28, had four cases, three less than it maximum, and James Paget, which has an annual threshold of 18, had two cases compared to its ceiling of four.
Julie Fenton, the paternal grandmother of baby Luke Day, who died aged just 36 hours in Ipswich Hospital on February 3 last year when it was believed he was the youngest victim of MRSA, called the findings "disappointing".
She said: "I have to say that I'm very surprised because to start with the hospital was doing well at trying to limit the cases of MRSA and put a lot of measures in place.
"However these latest figures are disappointing and just go to show that obviously more work needs to be done in trying to stop the problem.
"The fight against MRSA is an ongoing battle and will not be won overnight. There needs to be constant 24/7 supervision and it is not something that can just be swept under the carpet because it will not go away.
"Unfortunately it seems to have reared its ugly head again and the hospital needs to ensure that it keeps on at it and educates people of the dangers and the right procedures to follow."
Luke was thought to be the youngest victim of MRSA but a subsequent in-depth investigation conducted by Ipswich Hospital concluded it may not have been the cause of his death - although it acknowledged the presence of the bug.
The figures have been released in a report to be discussed at a board meeting of Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire Strategic Health Authority (SHA) tomorrow.
Andrew Reed, chief executive of Ipswich Hospital said the trust met national requirements when managing MRSA last year.
"There are always variations in month to month figures and our thorough investigations show there is no single reason for this recent disappointing rise," he said. "We continue our hospital wide activities to prevent hospital acquired infections occurring, including the highest standards of infection control procedures.
"The focus remains on achieving our target for the year, a continued reduction in incidences. And we recognise that as targets get tighter, there is less margin for error." |
|
|
|
