HEALTH workers in Worcestershire are dedicated to beating superbug MRSA but need to be relentless if they are to beat it.

That's the picture revealed by a visit from the MRSA improvement team to hospitals in the county.

The visit showed that Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust was quick to find the cause of an outbreak.

The review, which happened on March 27, found that there was "powerful evidence" of changes in practice and policy at the trust to help reduce the number of MRSA infections.

The trust has also set itself tough targets to cut hospital infections in the coming year to 12 cases in 2007/2008.

For the year 2006/07, the trust set itself a target of 22 MRSA bacteraemias - but 40 were found, nearly double what it was aiming for.

The hot spots for MRSA are medicine and general surgery but improvements in procedures meant there was no MRSA found in the five months before April 2007.

However, since the report was written by the MRSA/cleaner hospitals support unit, there were three cases of the superbug in April and four in May.

Michael O'Riordan, chairman of the board, said: "The team is highly motivated but it has to be a relentless fight. We can't have infection fatigue set in."

The review also identified a number of steps the trust can take to reduce infection.

It said the trust should use screening programmes, concentrating on hotspot areas, and closely monitor infections. The review also said health workers had be consistent, sticking to the measures across the board, with checks and audits in place as well as a "challenge culture" where staff can flag up any sloppiness.

The review suggested the distance between hospital beds and the way wards are set out should be looked at to help lower infection rates.

There have been an increased number of cases of another supberbug - C. difficile - at the Alexandra Hospital, Kidderminster, compared to Worcestershire Royal Hospital.

Targeted antibiotic ward rounds and a review of practice and cleaning regimes are underway.

Chris Catchpole, director for infection prevention and control, said the trend for C. difficile continued to be downwards in Worcestershire Royal Hospital.