§ Andrew MackinlayTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many and what percentage of deaths were caused by MRSA, or had MRSA as a contributing factor, in the last year for which figures are available, broken down by hospital; and if he will make a statement. [184410]
§ Ruth KellyThe information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Andrew Mackinlay dated 22 July 2004:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many and what it percentage of deaths were caused by MRSA, or had MRSA as a contributing factor in the last year for which figures are available, broken down by hospital. (184410)
The latest year for which figures are available is 2002. The number of deaths contributed to by MRSA, by hospital, for this year is given in the table attached. This table includes hospitals where there were five or more deaths for which MRSA was recorded as a contributory factor. Where the number of deaths was less than five the number of deaths has not been provided, to minimise the risk of disclosure of confidential information.
I am also placing in the House of Commons library a table showing all the establishments recorded by ONS as general hospitals or multi-function sites during 2002 al which there was:
at least one death from any cause, indeither no deaths where MRSA way a contributory factor, or fewer than five such deaths.It should be noted that it is not possible to put a firm figure to the number of people who die from MRSA because people are often very sick with a number of ether conditions so the contribution of MRSA to the outcome in any particular case is uncertain. The underlying causeof death is most often the disease or injury which led them to be admitted to hospital, rather than the MRSA which may have complicated the course of the illness. Internationally accepted guidance from the World Health Organisation on the completion of death certificates requires only those conditions that contribute directly to death to be recorded.
472W
Number of deaths where MRSA was a contributory factor1, by hospital2 Hospital name No.of deaths where MRSA was a contributory factor Percentage of all deaths England and Wales 721 0.2 Hospitals with five or more deaths where MRSA was a contributory factor Addenbrookes Hospital, Cambridge 10 0.6 Alexandra Hospital, Redditch 5 0.7 Arrowe Park Hospital, Birkenhead 5 0.3 Ashford Hospital 6 0.9 Birmingham Heartlands Hospital 17 0.9
Number of deaths where MRSA was a contributory factor1 by hospital2 Hospital name No.of deaths where MRSA was a contributory factor Percentage of all deaths Bristol Royal Infirmary 6 0.5 Broomfield Hospital, Chelmsford 8 0.6 City Hospital, Winson Green 10 0.7 Conquest Hospital, St. Leonards on Sea 9 0.7 Derriford Hospital, Plymouth 22 1.1 Freeman Hospital, Newcastle 9 0.9 General Hospital, Bishop Auckland 5 0.8 General Hospital, Southampton 7 0.3 General Infirmary, Leeds 11 0.6 George Eliot Hospital, Nuneaton 5 0.4 Hull Royal Infirmary 5 0.3 Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust 9 0.5 King's College Hospital, London 5 0.4 Lister Hospital, Stevenage 5 0.4 Luton and Dunstable Hospital 5 0.4 Maelor Hospital, Wrexham 10 0.8 Medway Maritime Hospital, Gillingham 13 0.8 Morriston Hospital, Swansea 7 0.5 Musgrove Park Hospital, Taunton 7 0.5 New Cross Hospital, Wolverhampton 8 0.4 Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital 7 0.3 North Middlesex Hospital, Edmonton 5 0.5 Prince Charles Hospital, Merthyr Tydfil 6 0.6 Princess Margaret Hospital, Swindon 5 0.4 Princess of Wales Hospital, Bridgend, Mid Glamorgan Queen Alexandra Hospital, Portsmouth 15 0.7 Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Edgbaston 5 0.6 Royal Berkshire Hospital, Reading 5 0.4 Royal Cornwall Hospital, Truro 5 0.4 Royal Infirmary, Doncaster 6 0.4 Royal Infirmary, Huddersfield 5 0.5 Royal Preston Hospital 5 0.4 Royal Sussex County Hospital, Brighton 6 0.4 Southmead Hospital. Bristol 5 0.5 St. Helier Hospital, Carshalton 5 0.4 St. Mary's Hospital, Westminster 9 1.0 St. Thomas's Hospital, London 9 0.8 Stoke Mandeville Hospital, Aylesbury 5 0.7 Torbay Hospital 5 0.4 University Hospital Aintree 7 0.4 University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff 8 0.4 University Hospital. Nottingham 6 0.3 Warwick Hospital 5 0.5 Whittington Hospital St. Mary's Wing, Islington 6 0.7 Wycombe General Hospital 5 0.6 1Identified using the methodology described in Griffiths C, Lamagni TL, Crowcroft NS, Duckworth G and Rooney C (2004) Trends in MRSA in England and Wales; analysis of morbidity and mortality data for 1993–2002. Health Statistics Quarterly 21, 15–22. 2Defined as general hospitals or multi-function sites using the ONS classification of establishment types. Note: Figures are for deaths occurring in 2002.