1:09pm Friday 4th June 2010
By Neil Docking
ALL East Lancashire hospitals will have to publish weekly MRSA rates on a government website, it has been announced.
People will be able to check the infection figures for MRSA and Clostridium difficile (C diff) from next month.
Health Secretary Andrew Lansley has confirmed that all hospitals in England will be included on the superbug database.
Weekly data from March to May for Burnley General Hospital and Royal Blackburn Hospital showed there had been no new cases.
Previously the figures were released annually as an average for each NHS Trust, which may comprise several hospitals.
Health watchdog Councillor Roy Davies described the decision to publish the figures as 'absolutely brilliant'.
He said: "It is long overdue. The Government must make sure the figures are published and set out the guidelines of acceptability."
An isolation ward was set up at Royal Blackburn Hospital last September after a suspected outbreak of superbug C Diff.
The infected people were treated in a special ‘cohort ward’ away from other patients.
Health Secretary Andrew Lansley said: “This is an important step towards our broader plans which is to provide more relevant information to hospital patients.”
Rineke Schram,trust medical director and director of infection prevention and control, said: “We have rigorous procedures in place throughout all of our hospitals to identify and isolate infections, and prevent them from developing. We really welcome the extra scrutiny and emphasis brought by weekly reports to the public."
For information visit www.data.gov.uk.
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