Health trusts are to be set new objectives next year for reducing cases of MRSA infections The new targets will focus on those trusts that need to improve most.

They will come into force from April and will apply to all NHS organisations in an effort to ensure patients receive clean safe care across the whole service. In November 2004, the Department of Health set a national target of cutting MRSA bloodstream infections by half. The latest quarterly figures from the Department show that has been exceeded with a 76 per cent reduction across the country.

Under the new objective health organisations with the highest infection rates will have to make the biggest reductions. At the same time the best performers will be challenged to sustain their low rates and to try to achieve further reductions where possible.

The Health Minister, Ann Keen said the NHS had worked hard to reduce cases of MRSA and had achieved what many people had thought was impossible but it could still do better. “All patients have a right to expect clean, safe care in all settings but some trusts have not improved at the same rates as others,” she said and added: ”We must reduce MRSA infections across the whole of the NHS so the new objective will introduce the toughest challenges for under performing
organisations.”