New Figures Show Spread Of New Hospital Superbug

Rise of ‘C-diff’ bug fuelled by NHS cuts warn Conservatives 

Deborah Dunleavy Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Bolton NE, expressed concern this week at new official figures which have revealed the growing spread of the new hospital superbug - Clostridium difficile (‘C-diff’).  

Across England, new statistics show that there were almost 60,000 cases of C-Diff amongst pensioners – figures are not kept for younger people – an increase of 12,000 from 2004 when records first began. Locally, the Royal Bolton has recorded figures of a rise from 208 in 2004 to 297 and 397 last year. 

The revelation comes as NHS statistics also show that Labour have cut 6,000 nursing jobs due to the financial crisis in the health service. 

Miss Dunleavy remarked,

“Labour Ministers are failing to face up to the dangers of the C-diff superbug. I am very concerned that hardworking NHS staff are not getting the support they need to deliver a comprehensive strategy against hospital-acquired infections.  

“In the last year, Labour have cut 6,000 nursing jobs. It is little wonder that we have seen such a rise in C-diff infections. The latest figures are just the tip of the iceberg, because they do not even include the huge number of infections in people aged under 65. Gordon Brown’s financial mismanagement of the NHS has allowed deaths from superbugs to grow to an appalling level. 

“The NHS is Conservatives’ number one priority. We will give health care professionals the freedom and support they need to ensure patients receive the best care.” 

Notes to Editors 

NEW HOSPITAL SUPERBUG – DEADLIER THAN MRSA 

Clostridium difficile (‘C-diff’) is a superbug, like the more well-known MRSA. C-diff is a bacteria present in the gut of some adults and infants; normally, it is kept in check by other ‘good’ bateria. When these ‘good’ bacteria are disturbed by certain antibiotics which are heavily used in hospital settings – C-diff multiplies rapidly and produces various toxins, causing the illness. 

C-diff is spread on the hands of hospital staff and other people who come into contact with infected patients. When outside the body, the C-diff bacterium produces spores which can survive on uniforms and surfaces for very long periods. 

Alcohol-based disinfectants have been heavily promoted by the Government in order to tackle rates of MRSA infection. For example, the recent ‘Cleanyourhands’ campaign made great play with the provision of near-patient alcohol hand-rubs as, ‘the cornerstone for improvement’ in infection rates.  However, the spores produced by C-diff are not killed by alcohol-based disinfectants. The US Centers for Disease Prevention and Control has warned that these disinfectants are, ‘not effective’ against C-diff. 

MRSA are bacteria (‘superbugs’) which have become resistant to various antibiotics, including the commonly used penicillin-related antibiotics, making treatment of a patient very difficult (‘methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus’). 

New figures published by the Health Protection Agency show that the number of Clostridium difficile infections in those aged 65 or above rose to 55,681 in 2006 – an increase of 8 per cent on 2005, and almost 12,000 higher than in 2004, when records first began (Health Protection Agency, Quarterly Clostridium difficile and MRSA figures, 26 April 2007)

http://www.hpa.org.uk/hpa/news/articles/press_releases/2007/070426_clostridium_mrsa.htm). 

Although the number of people killed by MRSA has more than quadrupled since 1997, official figures show the rise in deaths from C-diff is now outstripping even this huge rate of increase. 

• In the last year alone, the number of MRSA deaths increased by 39 per cent, while the number of C-diff deaths increased by a huge 69 per cent.

• C-diff was mentioned on 1 in every 250 death certificates over the period 2001-2005.

• Between 2001 and 2005, MRSA and C-diff together were responsible for 15,470 deaths in England and Wales. However, more than two-thirds of these deaths – 10,484 – were caused by C-diff.

Office of National Statistics, Deaths involving MRSA and Clostridium difficile continue to rise, 22 February 2007. http://www.statistics.gov.uk/pdfdir/deaths0207.pdf 

EFFECT OF GORDON BROWN’S NHS CUTS 

The latest NHS workforce census reveals that between September 2005 and September 2006 5,826 nursing jobs were cut from the NHS (Department of Health, NHS workforce census, 26 April 2007, headcount figures).

http://www.ic.nhs.uk/webfiles/publications/nhsstaff2006/FINAL%20MASTER%20TABLE%202006%20%28for%20internet%29.xls

Labour’s NHS financial crisis has resulted in at least 8,800 beds being cut in the last two years alone (5 per cent of NHS bed capacity) (Department of Health, Bed availability and occupancy, 22 September 2006; and http://www.nhswatch.info/).  

Rates of acute bed occupancy first rose above 85 per cent in 2001-02 and have never fallen below it since. The latest figures, for 2005-06, show the rate of acute bed occupancy at 85.7 per cent (Department of Health, Bed availability and occupancy, 22 September 2006). On 2 February 2001, Labour promised to reduce bed occupancy rates to 82 per cent (Department of Health, Treasury Minute, 2 February 2001). 

A bed occupancy rate above the critical level of 85 per cent is considered dangerous (e.g. Professor Barry Cookson of the Health Protection Agency has said, ‘what all the evidence shows is that we have got to get bed occupancy down to 85 per cent…Patients should realise that there’s a certain safety level, and above that we start having problems’ (The Independent, Labour’s targets are fuelling spread of hospital superbugs, 2 July 2004)).  

LOCAL FIGURES 

The table below shows the total number of C-diff infections in hospitals among patients aged 65 and over in 2005, 2005 and 2006 (NB. these figures are for infections, not deaths). Figures are not currently kept for infections among younger patients. 

Source: Heath Protection Agency, Clostridium difficile - mandatory surveillance, 26 April 2007

http://www.hpa.org.uk/infections/topics_az/hai/C_diff_annual_Apr_2007.xls  

Trusts for which data are incomplete are not shown