MRSA, Staph, Staff, Mersa, Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus Symptoms & Treatment

Welsh Conservatives support MRSA Infection Tsars

Link: Welsh Conservatives

   Welsh Conservatives are giving cautious support to a Swansea AM's brainchild of cleaning tsars to keep hospitals free of superbugs like MRSA.

Swansea East Labour AM Val Lloyd introduced the Assembly equivalent to a private member's bill, making non-executive members of hospital trust boards more responsible for cleaning issues. Tory health spokesman Jonathan Morgan AM said: "While we support the move to nominate an official to be responsible for hospital cleanliness, this in itself will not deliver cleaner hospitals.

"I know, through visiting hospitals across Wales, that nurses are frustrated at the lack of facilities and resources to keep wards clean.

Tories accuse Labour over MRSA

Link: Conservative Party - News Story.

Little wonder, that since the Election, Labour are stealing our policies. Now, they say more private sector capacity is required. Now they say, hidden waiting lists are denying patients the treatment they need. Now, they admit infections - and not just MRSA - are causing thousands of deaths. Now, the Prime Minister says there's nothing he can do to stop the crisis in NHS dentistry. And now, the truth comes out that hospitals across the country are in debt and now - now, after the election - that they are closing wards and laying off staff. These are the issues we fought to expose during the General Election campaign. We fought for the NHS to have a better way: real increases in resources, which get to the front line. Less bureaucracy and more clinical leadership. Professionals set free from targets and bureaucracy. Cleaner hospitals, The return of GP fund-holding. More doctors and nurses. More children's hospitals. NHS dentistry brought back to the High Street. Real choice for patients and real freedom for NHS and independent hospitals to invest and improve services.

MP Slams Hewitt Liability Plan

Link: Bexley Express.

Old Bexley and Sidcup MP Derek Conway blasted Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt after she announced plans to prosecute hospital chiefs who fail to keep their wards clean on Tuesday. The Conservative MP branded Ms Hewitt a 'patronising school mum type' after she unveiled plans that could see chief executives face charges of corporate manslaughter if a patient dies of the MRSA bug. The proposals mean hospital chiefs could face fines or prison sentences if their negligence leads to death, disability or illness. Mr Conway claimed the plans use the wrong methods to get rid of the lethal superbug in hospitals.

Tories slammed for MRSA tactics

Link: this is devon - news, entertainment, jobs, homes and cars.

In a letter to Mr Howard, the trust's chief executive John Rom said: "I am deeply shocked that the inaccuracies in your letter would reduce the confidence which the public have in this hospital. "In addition, your letter also asserts that these people contracted MRSA here. It is impossible to say where the cases we have recorded were contracted, whether that is here or elsewhere in the health and social care system." Past figures for MRSA had put NDHT in the top 12 worst hospitals in the country for infection rates. But hospital bosses say the figures are inaccurate as they include MRSA isolates found in patients and samples coming to the hospital from other hospitals and treatment units outside the trust's control. In addition, there have only been four recorded cases of MRSA in the last six months, none of which was acquired at NDDH. Mr Rom said: "The bald facts are that even on the basis of the official data, the rates being shown are now among the lowest in the country."

'Scaremongering' or 'out of control' - the MRSA row

Link: icWales

The hospital comes valiantly to it own defence at the link above - showing that it is one of the better hosptals when it comes to MRSA in the UK

THE row over MRSA infections has erupted again after figures showed how cases more than doubled in one Welsh hospital over a six-year period. Figures released by Gwent Healthcare NHS Trust show the number of patients contracting the superbug in Royal Gwent Hospital, Newport, is up from 129 (1998) to 270 (2004). Tory AM David Davies, pictured, who is contesting Monmouth in tomorrow's election, said, "These figures are shocking and completely unacceptable. The trust is arguing this is because of changes in the way people are screened, but I cannot accept this can account for such a huge rise. "I suspect part of the problem is that in order to fulfil government targets as soon as one patient is discharged, another is moved into the bed before it can be properly cleaned. "The figures show just how badly out of control MRSA is and how important it is that political parties make tackling it one of their top priorities."

Howard 'sorry' for MRSA hygiene error

Link: Scotsman.com News

MICHAEL Howard was forced to apologise last night after he broke hygiene rules on a hospital visit intended to highlight his plans to wipe out MRSA. The Tory leader, who lost his mother-in-law to a hospital acquired infection, promised £10 million yesterday to speed up diagnosis and help to eradicate the problem. But on a visit to London’s National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, he failed to follow basic procedures aimed at halting the spread of MRSA. Mr Howard had carefully scrubbed up before entering the Lady Ann Allerton ward. However, he did not repeat the process between shaking hands with two patients. Catherine Cook, the hospital’s infection-control nurse, said hands should be cleaned "before you touch a patient and after you touch a patient". Speaking later at a forum organised by the Conservative Party to discuss MRSA in Solihull, West Midlands, Mr Howard said that he was "mortified" by the error.

Howard Promises Blitz on MRSA Superbug

Link: Scotsman.com

A multi-million pound testing system to identify swiftly MRSA and help irradiate it is today proposed by Michael Howard. Patients currently have to wait days to learn whether they have been struck by the hospital superbug. However, tests being introduced by one NHS trust take just a matter of hours. The state-of-the-art system would be introduced nationwide under the Conservatives. Mr Howard, who lost his mother-in-law to a hospital acquired infection, made combating MRSA one of his five key election pledges. The Tory leader will pledge the �10 million needed to introduce the nasal swabs system across the country at his morning press conference.

Another Tory MRSA blunder

Link: icWales

RED-FACED Tories refused to apologise last night after sending voters a letter wildly exaggerating MRSA figures for the FOURTH time. A letter sent to voters in Preseli Pembrokeshire claimed 85 people contracted the killer bug in the local NHS trust last year. But official figures show it was only 13. It came just one day after a letter signed by Michael Howard was sent to voters in Conwy claiming 125 people picked up the bug in their trust, when the real figure was 25. Labour quickly seized on the blunder. Their candidate in Preseli Pembrokeshire, Sue Hayman, said: "The Tories are still at it. They are sending local voters figures about MRSA in our hospitals that are plain wrong. "This is insulting to Pembrokeshire NHS workers." Shadow health secretary Andrew Lansley told Wales on Sunday the letter should have read 'trusts', not 'trust'. "The figure reflects accurately the number of bloodstream infection rates for the area," he claimed.

'Cleanest' hospital's MRSA anger

Link: BBC NEWS.

A hospital which has won an award for its cleaning has been caught up in the row over misleading Tory MRSA leaflets. Party leader Michael Howard has apologised after several areas received the inaccurate mailouts last week. But Winchester's Royal Hampshire County Hospital, which has won cleaning's equivalent of the Oscars, is still writing to Mr Howard to complain. Other hospitals have also come forward to correct the leaflets which exaggerate the cases of the superbug. The leaflets, which have been sent to areas the party is targeting, gave regional figures for MRSA rates, but said they were just for the local NHS trust.

Hospital hits back over MRSA claim

Link: icCheshireOnline

A WIRRAL hospital has hit back at suggestions by the Conservative Party that almost 150 people contracted MRSA in the NHS Trust. The statement issued by Wirral Hospital NHS Trust was put out to "correct inaccurate information included in election campaign material". According to a letter distributed by the local Tory party this week to households in the borough, "last year alone, 146 people contracted MRSA in your local NHS Trust." But, in a statement, Wirral Hospitals said: "The latest Department of Health MRSA surveillance data shows that, for the period referred to in the letter, the Trust saw a total of 40 patients with MRSA bloodstream infections. This equates to about one case for every 2,000 admissions."

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