Patients bring MRSA into hospital

The trust looks after Queen Elizabeth and Selly Oak hospitals

One in four patients tested for the superbug MRSA at a Birmingham health trust brought it into the hospitals with them, the trust has said.

Department of Health figures published last week put the University Hospital Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust bottom of a list of MRSA rankings.

The number of cases rose from 123 to 152 for the year 2004 to 2005.

A trust worker has said tests it conducted showed 28 per cent of patients had MRSA on admission.

The trust looks after Queen Elizabeth and Selly Oak hospitals and is planning on introducing routine screening of people admitted from other care centres.