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| Version 3 | Version 4 |
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| NHS superbug figures 'offer hope' | NHS superbug figures 'offer hope' |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| Hospitals in England may be beginning to win the battle against infections, latest quarterly figures suggest. | |
| Cases of MRSA fell by 10% from April to June to 1,303 - but it is not enough to halve the rate by the 2008 target date, the Health Protection Agency revealed. | |
| And there are early indications Clostridium difficile infections may also be falling - the number of new cases was down 7% to 13,660. | |
| But experts warned there had been changes in the way data was collected. | But experts warned there had been changes in the way data was collected. |
| The Health Protection Agency (HPA) said the MRSA figures were impressive given hospitals were treating increasing numbers of elderly and seriously ill patients. | The Health Protection Agency (HPA) said the MRSA figures were impressive given hospitals were treating increasing numbers of elderly and seriously ill patients. |
| The latest quarterly figures for MRSA show 1,303 cases reported between April and June this year compared with 1,447 reported between January and March. | The latest quarterly figures for MRSA show 1,303 cases reported between April and June this year compared with 1,447 reported between January and March. |
| HAVE YOUR SAY There appears to have been some progress, but these outbreaks keep occurring B Brabant Send us your comments | HAVE YOUR SAY There appears to have been some progress, but these outbreaks keep occurring B Brabant Send us your comments |
| For C difficile, the figures showed there were 13,660 cases in patients aged 65 years or over from April to June 2007, a reduction of 1,022 cases on the same period last year. | For C difficile, the figures showed there were 13,660 cases in patients aged 65 years or over from April to June 2007, a reduction of 1,022 cases on the same period last year. |
| C difficile is compared to the same period as last year as it tends to peak in the winter, unlike MRSA. | C difficile is compared to the same period as last year as it tends to peak in the winter, unlike MRSA. |
| MRSA has been steadily falling since September 2006, but C difficile cases have been on the rise. | MRSA has been steadily falling since September 2006, but C difficile cases have been on the rise. |
| HPA infection expert Dr Georgia Duckworth said: "The results in this report show that there can be, and have been, significant reductions for some infections." | HPA infection expert Dr Georgia Duckworth said: "The results in this report show that there can be, and have been, significant reductions for some infections." |