18 September 2009
The number of cases of C. difficile at Sutton, Epsom and St Helier hospitals has dropped by more than 20 per cent, according to the latest figures from the Health Protection Agency.
The new figures show that between April to June 2009, 67 patients were found to have the infection, which is also known as Clostridium difficile. This is an improvement on the figure for the same period in 2008, when there were 85 cases - a drop of more than a fifth.
The new figures follow the announcement that in the financial year 2008/09, the number of C. difficile cases fell by more than 40 per cent, compared to the previous year (493 cases against 279).
Interim Chief Executive, Peter Coles said: "We are delighted to announce yet another drop in the number of patients found to have C. difficile cases at our hospitals.
"The latest figures are another victory in the Trust's fight against healthcare acquired infections, but that's not to say that the fight is finished. We will continue to work hard to keep the number of infections at an absolute minimum.
"Good hygiene is still the best defence against C. difficile and that's why we're committed to making sure that our patients, visitors and staff all know how important it is to wash your hands regularly with soap and water."
The Trust has implemented a raft of high-profile measures in its fight against healthcare acquired infections, including providing extra training for our staff and carefully prescribing antibiotics to patients.
C. difficile is a highly infectious bacteria that lives in the gastrointestinal tract of approximately five per cent of the population. Normally, the other bacteria in your gut prevents C. difficile from developing into an illness, but when a patient is put on antibiotics, the balance of bacteria in the gastrointestinal system is affected, and C. difficile may take over, causing severe diarrhoea and inflammation of the colon.
