MRSA deaths increase by a quarter

Deaths caused by MRSA have risen by almost a quarter, new statistics have revealed.

Between 2003 and 2004 the mention of MRSA on death certificates increased by 22 per cent to 1,168, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

In England and Wales, the hospital superbug was mentioned on two out of every 1,000 death certificates.

However, the mention of MRSA on the certificates does not necessarily mean that it was the cause of death, but that it was a contributing factor.

The ONS figures showed that most of the deaths involving MRSA occurred in older age groups and that rates were higher in men than women.

The Liberal Democrats have labelled the statistics “alarming”, with the party’s health spokesman Steve Webb calling on the government to “get a grip on MRSA”.

“Despite eight years of task forces, strategies and initiatives, the government has made little progress in the fight against serious infections,” he said.

“Staff, patients and visitors all have a role to play in ensuring that effective infection control is a top priority within the NHS.”

A recent report by the British Medical Association (BMA) suggested that government targets had played a part in rising infection rates. It said that increased pressure to treat more patients had led to higher bed occupancy rates.

The authors of the report suggested that intruding simple hygiene measures such as washing hands frequently could cut the hospital infection rate by 15 per cent.

They also suggested that doctors should remove items such as ties which were not washed frequently as they could potentially spread germs.

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