§ Mr. MackinlayTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) how many hospitals have reported cases of MRSA in Northern Ireland in the past 12 months; how many cases there were in total; and in how many cases MRSA was the cause of or contributed to death; [19849]
(2) what measures are being taken to prevent the spread of MRSA outside hospitals; and if he will make a statement. [19850]
§ Mr. MossInformation relating to the number of cases of MRSA in hospitals in Northern Ireland is not available centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Last year the Department issued for distribution to residential and nursing homes a booklet entitled "Guidelines on the Control of Infection in Residential and Nursing Homes" which contained a section on MRSA. On 7 February 1997 two publications dealing specifically with MRSA were issued to a wide range of medical and nursing personnel. These were a "Patient Information" leaflet and a booklet called "Guidelines for Residential and Nursing Home Staff for Management of Residents with Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus".