IPSWICH: New figures today revealed how Ipswich Hospital is winning its battle against superbugs.

In 2009/10, the hospital saw a 49 per cent fall in Clostridium difficile (C.diff) cases and a 25pc reduction in MRSA bacteraemia – when the MRSA bacteria get into the bloodstream.

The figures mean the hospital has hit its national targets for both infection rates.

Lesley Taylor, head of infection control at the Heath Road hospital, said: “We are committed to providing a safe environment for our patients, and that includes placing the highest possible priority on infection control.

“These reductions are really good news and have been achieved through the consistent hard work of all the staff at the hospital.

“We aim to continue to reduce infections to the absolute minimum and there is much positive work under way to help us towards that vision.”

There were six reported cases of MRSA bacteraemia in 2009/10 whereas the target set by NHS East of England, the strategic health authority, was to have no more than eight. For the same period, there were 66 reported cases of c.diff, against a target of no more than 108.

This is an improvement on the previous year – figures for 2008/09 show the hospital had eight MRSA bacteraemia cases and 130 c.diff cases.

Major developments at the hospital include a high-profile hand-washing campaign and a specialist infection control ward.

There is also a thorough investigation into every hospital-acquired infection to look for causes and potential improvements.

High cleaning standards are set and there has been a major review of antibiotic prescribing as wrong prescriptions can cause c.diff.

n Have you contracted a superbug and want to tell us your story? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN, or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk.