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5 Jun 2006 : Column 426W—continued


Healthcare-acquired Infections

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many cases of (a) Clostridium difficile and (b) vancomycin-resistant enterocuccus have been reported in each health trust in the Province in each month of the last three years. [74654]

Paul Goggins: The information is as follows.

(a) Mandatory surveillance for Clostridium difficile only commenced in Northern Ireland on 1 January 2005. Hospital laboratory reports are filtered and data on over 65-year-olds are then analysed on a quarterly basis.

Number of Clostridium difficile patient episodes reported to the Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre (NI) by trust and quarter( 1)
Trust January-March 2005 April-June 2005 July-September 2005

Altnagelvin Hospitals

16

37

9

Belfast City Hospital

40

44

52

Causeway

9

20

19

Craigavon Area Hospital Group

75

64

27

Down Lisburn

8

14

18

Green Park

6

1

3

Mater Infirmorum Hospital

10

10

8

Newry and Mourne

13

8

5

Royal Group of Hospitals

35

27

29

Sperrin Lakeland

4

4

2

Ulster Community and Hospitals

51

56

42

Ulster Community and United Hospitals

39

23

27

(1) All data provisional

(b) The number of vancomycin-resistant blood isolates of enterococci has been collated through voluntary laboratory reporting in Northern Ireland since 1 January 2003. Each laboratory may serve a number of different Trusts, including acute, specialist and community trusts. The following table shows the number of reports since 2003 compiled by the Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre (NI).

2003 2004 2005 2006
Laboratory April June July September October August January

Antrim Area Hospital

—

—

—

—

—

1

—

Belfast City Hospital

—

1

—

—

2

—

—

Causeway laboratory

—

—

—

—

—

—

1

Craigavon Area Hospital

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

Mater Infirmorum Hospital

—

—

1

—

—

—

—

Ulster Hospital

1

—

—

1

—

—

—

Annual total

2

4

1

1


Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many healthcare-acquired infections there were within each health trust in the Province in each month of the last three years. [74666]

Paul Goggins: It is not feasible to have active surveillance of all healthcare associated infections (HCAIs). Currently there are three mandatory HCAI surveillance programmes in Northern Ireland on Clostridium difficile, Staphylococcus aureus (and MRSA) bacteraemias, and orthopaedic surgical site infections. When collated, these act as markers for the level of HCAI found in hospitals.

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many cases of MRSA have been reported within each health trust in the Province in each month of the last three years. [74668]

Paul Goggins: The information is not available in the requested form.


5 Jun 2006 : Column 427W

Statistics on MRSA bacteraemias are recorded quarterly by trust and are provided in the following table. The results collated are of infections which have been identified by testing within a hospital. However, no distinction can be made between where the infection
5 Jun 2006 : Column 428W
was actually acquired, i.e. in hospital or in the community. Trusts with different clinical mixes and specialties will have differing proportions of patients at high risk of infection.

Trust January to March 2004 April to June 2004 July to September 2004 October to December 2004 January to March 2005 April to June 2005 July to September 2005

Altnagelvin Hospitals

10

6

1

5

5

7

3

Belfast City Hospital

18

9

13

7

7

18

6

Causeway

3

1

4

1

3

3

3

Craigavon Area Hospital Group

7

8

5

4

4

6

5

Down Lisburn

5

4

5

3

4

0

2

Green Park

1

1

0

0

1

1

0

Mater Infirmorum Hospital

4

0

0

5

4

7

7

Newry and Mourne

2

0

1

2

0

0

1

Royal Group of Hospitals

13

8

11

12

13

13

14

Sperrin Lakeland

7

5

4

0

2

1

1

Ulster Community and Hospitals

2

12

12

8

4

11

7

United Hospitals

13

10

10

8

10

5

7


Trust July to September 2002 October to December 2002 January to March 2003 April to June 2003 July to September 2003 October to December 2003

Altnagelvin Hospitals

2

3

5

2

4

6

Belfast City Hospital

13

13

10

13

15

17

Causeway

4

2

0

5

2

2

Craigavon Area Hospital Group

6

2

2

6

5

12

Down Lisburn

0

3

3

5

2

2

Green Park

1

0

2

0

2

1

Mater Infirmorum Hospital

4

6

7

5

7

6

Newry and Mourne

2

0

1

4

1

4

Royal Group of Hospitals

4

8

9

11

12

10

Sperrin Lakeland

1

0

6

2

6

1

Ulster Community and Hospitals

8

11

7

5

7

4

United Hospitals

6

9

10

17

9

10

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