Superbug infection rate at Musgrove falls dramatically

MUSGROVE Park Hospital, in Taunton, is claiming a dramatic fall in superbug infections during the past year.
The latest figures released by the hospital showed both MRSA and C. Difficile had reduced by more than 60 per cent in the last 12 months.
Between April and December, 2007, there were 13 MRSA blood stream infections at Musgrove, while in the same period the previous year there were 34 - a reduction of 62 per cent.
Between April and October, 2007, there were 78 C. Difficile isolates at Musgrove compared to 227 in the same period in 2006, a fall of 66 per cent.
Musgrove director of nursing and patient care, Martine Price, said: “These figures show that we are making great progress in our commitment to reducing healthcare-associated infections at Musgrove Park.
“Reductions of over 60 per cent in both MRSA and C. Difficile are good news for patients, visitors, and staff.
“However, we are not complacent and will continue to prioritise efforts to further reduce the incidence of infections at the hospital.”
The hospital recently announced a £230,000 deep cleaning programme as part of the Government’s efforts to tackle the superbug crisis in the NHS.

Hospital spending £230,000 on MRSA deep cleaning

AN extra £230,000 is being spent by Musgrove Park Hospital, Taunton, to carry out a deep clean of all its clinical areas in the next few months.
Sixteen specially-recruited and trained cleaning staff will be involved in the deep cleaning programme.
The hit team will clean patient and public areas, store rooms, kitchens, sluices, corridors, and stairwells.
They will also de-clutter wards, remove old equipment, and clean storage areas on wards.
Head of facilities Simon Rigby said: “This additional investment has been provided by NHS South West as part of a national scheme announced by Gordon Brown recently.
“Our performance on healthcare associated infections at Musgrove Park is already very good, with rates of MRSA and CDiff more than halving in the last 12 months, but this extra money will allow us to do even more.
“There will inevitably be some disruption, but we are doing all we can to minimise any inconvenience to patients by carrying out the deep clean bay by bay, and doing a lot of the work in the evenings.”

• Our photograph shows some members of the deep cleaning team (left to right) team leader Debbie Whiting, with Karl Hernan, Simon Blewett, Jamie Shirley, and Mark Farrow. Members of the team not available for the photocall were Alex Brown, Lou Walker, team leader Kevin Elliot, Anibal Da Silva, and Chris Farrand. Photo submitted.