Trust could face fine over superbug cases

Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust faces a 100,000 penalty after three cases of the potentially-deadly infection hit patients in May, above a target of two.

The trust must reduce the number of MRSA infections to 19 in the 12 months to March next year under a target set by health chiefs in the city.

If the hospitals achieve the full-year target the fine will be waived.

Rates of infection are much lower than 2009-10 when there were 41 cases at the trust, below a target of 72.

They are well below the 121 cases diagnosed at the trust in 2008-9 when one in 14 cases in England were in Leeds and infection rates at the city's hospitals were 10 times higher than the best performing hospitals in Yorkshire.

There have been four cases in total at the trust in April and May this year.

In a joint statement, trust chief executive Maggie Boyle and Ian Cameron, director of public health for NHS Leeds, said reducing the number of MRSA infections was a continued focus of action.

"Staff have been working very hard on this," they said.

"Their efforts have resulted in a significant reduction in infection rates at the trust, which fell by more than 60 per cent last year.

"This is clearly a considerable reduction and in order to ensure that progress is maintained, NHS Leeds have written into this year's contract a penalty clause if the proposed trajectory is not met on a month-by-month basis.

"However as the standard to be achieved is an annual target, assuming that the standard for 2010-11 is achieved at the end of the year, no actual money will be deducted from the contract income.

"We acknowledge that the target is challenging, but infection control remains an extremely high priority for the Leeds health community and we are determined to work together to continue to reduce rates further, making hospital care even safer for patients."