§ Mr. PicklesTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many recorded deaths there were from MRSA virus in each of the last five years for which records are kept. [104349]
§ Ruth KellyThe information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Eric Pickles, dated 24 March 2003:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many recorded deaths there were from MRSA in each of the last 5 years for which records are kept. (104349)Information on deaths from Methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureas (MRSA) is not routinely available but a recent research study published in the British Medical Journal identified the number of death certificates that mentioned MRSA as the underlying cause of death or as a contributory cause for the years 1993–1998. The table below gives figures from the study for the 5 years to 1998.
Number of deaths where MRSA was mentioned as the underlying or a contributory cause of death, England and Wales, 1994–1998 Number 1994 88 1995 187 1996 290 1997 377 1998 398 The Office for National Statistics is currently in the process of updating this study to cover the period 1999–2001. The results of this analysis will be published later this year.