Department gets help fighting bug

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/northern_ireland/7542458.stm

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A team of experts from England is advising the Department of Health on how best to manage the outbreak of C Difficile.

The C Diff bug contributed towards eight deaths in Northern Trust hospitals during July.

A total of 19 new cases were identified last month - four fewer than the previous month.

The Dep Chief Medical Officer Dr Liz Mitchell said hospitals were learning how other hospitals have managed.

"We are looking very closely at hospitals which have already experienced serious outbreaks of this condition and we're looking at what they've done and put in place to reduce their numbers," said Dr Mitchell.

"We have actually brought over a team from England called the Safer, Cleaner Hospitals Team to tell us about what approaches are being used and are having good success in Great Britain."

Dr Mitchell said hospitals were "going in the right direction", with the number of new cases in July the lowest in a year.

Elderly patients are most at risk from the C diff bug, with over 80% of cases reported in the over 65 age group.

In February, the health minister set up an independent review to look at how all the trusts were managing.

An interim report has called for more single rooms to isolate patients with infections and more checks to ensure staff are washing their hands.