§ Andrew MackinlayTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people who died in Basildon and Thurrock Hospital Trust hospital wards in each of the past three years were suffering from MRSA or related infections; and if he will make a statement. [185736]
§ Dr. Ladyman[holding answer 21 July 2004]Information on the number of patients who died in Basildon and Thurrock University Hospital Trust over the past three years is not held centrally.
It is difficult to produce statistics on methicillin resistant "Staphylococcus aureus" (MRSA) because there are no codes for antibiotic resistance in the international classification of diseases. However, they will be introduced in the future: thus, better data should be available.
However, the results of a recent special study has shown that deaths involving MRSA have increased substantially from 1993 to 2002. The number of certificates with any mention of MRSA either as the underlying cause or contributing factor increased from 51 in 1993 to 800 in 2002.
§ Andrew MackinlayTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what assistance the Department has given to Heriot-Watt University in developing new drugs to combat MRSA; and if he will make a statement.[184419]
§ Ms Rosie WintertonNone. The Department last year commissioned a £2.5 million strategic programme of research aimed at improving scientific understanding of antimicrobial resistance. £590,000 of that total sum will be spent on projects that will provide useful information relating to best practice in preventing methicillinresistantStaphylococcus aureus.