MRSA found at new neonatal unit

The £113m hospital opened in July

Four babies at a brand new Lancashire hospital were put in isolation after testing positive for MRSA.

Traces of the superbug were found on the infants' skin at the £113m Royal Blackburn Hospital last week.

None of the babies had any resulting problems and their clinical conditions were not affected, the hospital said.

As a precaution, admissions to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit from outside of east Lancashire were restricted for a few days.

The hospital did not receive any requests from outside the area and so did not have to turn any admissions away.

Babies born at the hospital who needed neonatal intensive care during the period of restriction were still admitted.

The situation is being closely monitored by our infection control team Lynn Wissett, director of clinical care

But the affected babies were nursed in separate areas within the unit in accordance with infection control procedures, the hospital said.

Lynn Wissett, director of clinical care, said: "MRSA is common germ that lives completely harmlessly on the skin and nose of about one third of the population.

"As with any infection, we have strict protocols in place to ensure that the spread of MRSA in our hospitals is limited as far as possible.

"The situation is being closely monitored by our infection control team."

The new Royal Blackburn Hospital was one of the largest public sector building projects in the North West.

Costing about £113m to build, the new facility opened its doors to the East Lancashire public on 8 July.