WORCESTERSHIRE is among one in four NHS trusts nationwide failing to hit targets for tackling hospital superbugs.
Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust showed it was not alone in failing to battle the bugs after a survey by the Health Protection Agency revealed a quarter of trusts did not meet their targets for reducing MRSA and clostridium difficile last year.
For 2006/07, Worcestershire set a target of 22 MRSA incidents, but 40 were found. The trust has set itself even tougher targets to reduce hospital infections in the coming year to just 12 cases. There have already been seven.
Dr Anne Dyas, director for infection prevention at Worcestershire, said a cash injection was helping to make hospitals cleaner.
She said: "We were not able to comply with some of the cleanliness standards set at the Alexandra and Kidderminster hospitals. A decision was taken to invest in extra staff and a refurbishment programme and £200,000 has been set aside.
"This work has already begun and will continue until we are confident that we have met the cleanliness standards. We are not complacent and take this issue very seriously."
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