C diff rates falling at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital

Clostridium difficile rates at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital were among the lowest in the region last year, according to new figures published by the Department of Health today.

The Trust has also seen rates of Clostridium difficile (C.diff) continue to fall during 2008/09. Over the past six months the Trust has seen just 65 cases against a target of 100.

April 2007-March 2008, C Diff rate per 1000 bed days

Papworth Hospital 0.42
James Paget University Hospitals 0.77
Hinchingbrooke Healthcare 0.95
Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital 1.21
Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals 1.33
Cambridge University Hospitals 1.39
West Suffolk Hospital 1.40
Queen Elizabeth Hospital King's Lynn 1.49
Ipswich Hospital 1.58

The rate of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) bacteraemia infection at NNUH was also halved over the past three years from 64 bacteraemia infections to 33 cases in 2007/08. The Trust's target for this year is no more than 26 cases this year while treating over 126,000 in-patients and there have been only six cases over the past six months.

The Trust's staff have employed a wide range of measures to successfully tackle infection ranging from revised antibiotic prescribing policies, an MRSA patient screening programme, staff training, and regular audit, excellent standards of cleanliness, hand-washing and using single rooms to isolate patients with an infection.

Acting chief executive Anna Dugdale said: “Our hospitals have traditionally had low infection rates and our staff are doing a fantastic job of ensuring that those rates continue to reduce. Infection prevention and control is everybody's business and we are all committed to reducing the risk to our patients”.