Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 230: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the number of incidents of MRSA or other hospital based infections reported in each of the past three years to date in 2008; the degree to which such infections are under control; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16675/08]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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I would like to assure the Deputy that the monitoring and control of Healthcare Associated Infections (HCAIs) is a priority for this Government and the HSE.

A HCAI is an infection that someone may get after a stay in hospital or after receiving medical treatment. Such infections are most often linked to treatment in hospitals but can happen after treatment in outpatient clinics, nursing homes and other health care settings. The more medical care a person requires, the more likely they are to develop an infection and HCAIs are most common in people with serious illnesses or risk factors, such as patients who require a long period of stay in a health care setting or patients with weakened immune systems.

HCAIs include such infections as MRSA and Clostridium Difficile (C Difficile). Since 2002 MRSA cases have been collated by the Health Protection Surveillance Centre — Ireland's specialist agency for the surveillance of communicable diseases — via the European Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance System (EARSS). In 2007, 44 Irish laboratories serving 65 acute hospitals (public and private) participated in EARSS. The total number of MRSA cases recorded over the last six years was 445 cases in 2002, 480 cases in 2003, 553 cases in 2004, 592 cases in 2005, 588 cases in 2006 and 533 cases in 2007. There are no statistics available yet for the first quarter of 2008.

A new National Surveillance System has recently been established by the HSE to collect data and provide information on a quarterly basis on four key areas, to monitor HCAIs in our health system:

1. Staphylococcus bacteraemia (blood stream infections);

2. Antibiotic consumption;

3. Alcohol gel use;

4. MRSA Surveillance in Intensive Care Units.

The HSE intend to publish available data on the above for 2006 and 2007 in the near future and then quarterly thereafter. However, as the total data on surveillance in Intensive Care Units is new, the historical information for 2006 and 2007 will not include data under this heading.

Clostridium Difficile (C Difficile) was not, up to now, a notifiable disease and, as a result, it is difficult to quantify the extent of infection in the health care system. However, it was examined in the Third Prevalence Survey of Health Care Associated Infections (HCAIs) in acute hospitals in 2006. The survey found that thirty-six patients had C. difficile representing 0.5% of patients studied. In March 2008, I instructed the HSE to make C. Difficile a notifiable disease and from May 4th all cases will have to be notified to the relevant Department of Public Health.

The HSE launched a National Infection Control Action Plan in March 2007. An Infection Control Steering Group, chaired by Dr. Pat Doorley, National Director (Population Health) is responsible for overseeing the implementation of the plan. Over the next three to five years, the HSE aims to reduce HCAIs by 20%, MRSA infections by 30% and antibiotic consumption by 20%. Achievement of these targets will benefit all patients who are at risk. These targets will be achieved through the development of national and local level action plans to reduce the potential for spread of infections between persons in health care settings, and, in addition, will focus on reducing antibiotic use in Ireland. The Steering Group is supported by eight Local Implementation Teams which will ensure that all local facilities are focused on achieving the national targets.

While accepting that not all HCAIs are preventable, I am satisfied that significant steps are being taken to reduce the rates of HCAIs generally and to treat them promptly when they occur.