Lothian hospitals clean up - 06/02/2009

Hospitals in the Lothians, Scotland, have begun to win the battle against the superbug MRSA, it has been claimed, thanks in part to improved cleaning facilities.

Figures from the region's hospitals that the rate of infection of MRSA has dropped by a quarter, while the rate of clostridium difficile infections fell by around 15 per cent.

The area has introduced a range of new cleaning methods to tackle the problem of superbugs since 2006, when the problem appeared to be getting out of control.

The Western General hospital, for example, introduced new methods of cleaning that helped to cut rates of clostridium difficile by 30 per cent.

"I think we are making progress, especially with publicity displays at major events and the information given on hand washing," Dr Alison McCallum, director of public health at NHS Lothian, told the Scotsman.

Scottish health secretary Nicola Sturgeon has set a target of cutting rates of superbug infections by 40 per cent over the next year and improving cleaning methods will be crucial to that effort.

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