There has been a sharp fall in the number of MRSA cases in Yorkshire and the Humber, latest figures show.

The NHS region admits an average of 91,500 people in its hospitals every month. From April to June 2008, 88 patients contracted MRSA – a reduction of more than a third in comparison to the same period in 2007 and fewer than one in every 3,100 patients treated. This downward trend in cases is consistent in figures for January to March 2008 released by the Health Protection Agency yesterday, which also show a fall.

Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Bradford Royal Infirmary and St Luke’s Hospital, recorded ten cases of MRSA from January to March. Airedale NHS Trust recorded three cases of MRSA for the same period.

Margaret Edwards, NHS Yorkshire and the Humber chief executive, said: “These latest figures are really encouraging, reflecting the huge effort the NHS in Yorkshire and the Humber is making.

“Hospital acquired MRSA is unacceptable. Reducing the number of people who acquire MRSA in our region is a top priority and we are committed to making the hospitals cleaner and safer places for everyone.”