Synergy launches NHS superbug 4 hour screening

Link: Synergy launches NHS superbug screening | Health | SocietyGuardian.co.uk.

Synergy Healthcare is in talks with a number of NHS trusts over the launch of a new screening service designed to catch patients carrying deadly superbugs before they are admitted to hospital. Patients laid low by superbugs are thought to cost the NHS £1bn a year, but up to 7 per cent of patients may be already infected before they set foot on a ward. Synergy boss Richard Steeves says the test looks specifically for MRSA bacteria, and could save hospitals £100m a year. Its labs complete the test in four hours, and diagnosed patients can then be treated separately.