C. diff rates fall 'significantly'
- Published: 23 October 2008 11:06
- Author: Helen Mooney
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- Last Updated: 23 October 2008 11:06
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New figures released by the Health Protection Agency today show that Clostridium difficile infection rates have fallen 'significantly'.
Between April and June 2008 there were 8,683 cases recorded in patients aged 65 years and over-a fall of 18 per cent from the previous quarter when the total was 10,608.
The decrease in cases means that C.difficile rates have also fallen 38 per cent from the same quarter in 2007.
Professor Mike Catchpole, director of the Health Protection Agency's Centre for Infections said: 'This remains a challenge for the NHS but healthcare workers are clearly working hard to fight these infections'.
'We now have a more robust system for monitoring C.difficile infections, improving our understanding of the burden that this infection places on the NHS and enabling trusts to manage and develop where necessary their infection control procedures'.
Maggie Kemmer the Healthcare Commission's head of safety welcomed the numbers. 'The challenge now for the NHS is to sustain these falls and that means getting the right systems in place in every NHS trust across country. It means relentless attention to infection control, in every trust, for every patient.'
