Superbug deaths in the UK – at an appallingly high level for years – have begun to reduce.
Recently released statistics show that in 2008, deaths from MRSA reduced for the second year running, while deaths from C difficile went down for the first time since records began.
In many other countries, MRSA and C difficile are already at a much lower level. One notable example is Norway. A large part of Norway’s success comes from the complete isolation of patients as soon as they are found to have a superbug. the Conservative Health Minister commented that many UK hospitals: “..still lack basic facilities to isolate patients who have an infection.”
This is criminal.
It is just one more area where UK Governments – of all shades – consistently fail to look around the world and accurately identify best practice to apply at home.
A new superbug – enterobacteriaceae – is beginning to take hold. In the UK, 17 hospitals have confirmed having treated this new danger.
There will always be new strains of superbug. We need to get good at dealing with them – and that includes immediate isolation of all sufferers.
