Hospital's excellent record (From Western Telegraph)

Hospital's excellent record

DEAR EDITOR, - I read with great interest how Withybush Hospital celebrated NHS Think Clean Day and how it was reported that Withybush Hospital has an excellent record on cleanliness and a particularly low rate of patients acquiring infections such as MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus).

In fact, I have further discovered in the recently-published UK statistics that Withybush Hospital has the second lowest in Wales and the fourth lowest in the UK in respect of reported infection rates among patients, including MRSA, which is excellent news for staff and patients alike.

It was also very pleasing to read that, nationally, infections with MRSA have reached the lowest level since mandatory records began in 2001.

I also think that the initiative to set up a new rapid swab technique to identify patients coming in to hospitals with MRSA within two hours, rather than several days, is certainly a move in the right direction to combat MRSA, which will, hopefully, put Withybush Hospital as the number one lowest rate for infections - as opposed to being the fourth lowest in the UK.

COUNCILLOR THOMAS TUDOR 9 Greenfield Close, Haverfordwest.