Trusts fail to control superbug

Mar 27 2008 By Alison Dayani

THREE Birmingham hospital trusts have come under fire from the region's top health controllers for soaring rates of superbug MRSA that fall short of national targets.

West Midlands Health Authority is anxious that hospitals are failing the Department of Health target of 365 MRSA cases for all Midland hospitals within the past 12 months to April this year, with the number expected to be at least 500.

Authority bosses said they are now closely monitoring three trusts with the most at risk figures.

They are:

* University Hospital Trust, running Selly Oak and Edgbaston's Queen Elizabeth hospitals.

* Heart of England Trust, in charge of Solihull, Heartlands and Sutton Coldfield's Good Hope Hospital.

* Sandwell and West Birmingham Trust, in charge of Sandwell and City hospitals.

Steve Allen, head of performance at West Midlands Health Authority, said the main cause of overshooting the target was due to the high figures from University Hospital and Heart of England, with Sandwell and West Birmingham having risky variable rates that were sometimes too high.

Mr Allen said: "We have struggled with MRSA rates but the region is now moving towards the plan but we are still not at our required amount.

"We are now doing daily and weekly monitoring for some organisations.

"We have worked out an action plan with Sandwell and West Birmingham Trust but as the other two are Foundation trusts, we do not have a direct relationship with their management.

"We are doing formal reviews with their lead commissioners, which are the primary care trusts involved with them and setting out clear requirements on what they need to do to raise their game."

MRSA bacteria numbers for the region have been well above the plan throughout the year with 434 cases already since April last year.

University Hospital Trust and Heart of England have both reported more than 65 cases each so far.