Bradford hospital bosses have put an action plan in place after failing to hit their targets to reduce cases of the MRSA superbug.

Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has already breached a year-end national target for the number of MRSA cases.

The Trust, which runs Bradford Royal Infirmary and St Luke's Hospital, was set a target to reduce the number of MRSA cases between April 2006 and March 2007 to 26.

However, by the end of August the Trust had confirmed 22 cases and recorded a further seven cases during September, leading to a year-to-date total of 29.

It is the second year the Trust has breached the target. Between April 2005 and March 2006 a total of 75 cases were recorded against a target of no more than 36 cases.

Miles Scott, chief executive of the Trust, has submitted a declaration to Monitor, the independent regulator of Foundation Trusts, informing them of the breach and giving reasons why the MRSA target has not been met.

He also detailed what plans were in place to resolve the issue.

Mr Scott said: "Bradford Teaching Hospitals continue to take the control of infection as an utmost priority and to support this work we have increased resources to the control-of-infection team."

All NHS trusts have to meet a national target to reduce levels of MRSA by 20 per cent a year for three years, based on rates recorded in 2003-2004.

The Trust maintains that because it bucked the national trend and saw a substantial increase in MRSA during that year, its year-on-year reduction figure is particularly challenging and is closer to a 50 per cent reduction per annum.

Action already taken to cut levels of MRSA has resulted in a 23 per cent reduction in cases over the last year.

During the first six months of this year the Trust averaged just three cases a month, but that has now leapt to almost five cases a month, more than double the required level.

Mr Scott said: "The board has discussed this issue with the utmost concern and seriousness and implemented further plans to combat the incidence of MRSA bacteraemia across the Trust."

This includes the introduction of an associate medical director of control of infection who will work in conjunction with the director of infection prevention and control and senior management.

Two more infection-control nurses are to be employed and a terminal clean team' will be introduced to blitz any ward or bay where an infected patient has been staying, before it is reopened.

The Trust has been targeting high-risk areas such as the neonatal unit with recent success and isolation facilities are being closely monitored to make sure they are being used appropriately.

A root cause analysis and report is carried out for every case of MRSA and an antibiotic review team is advising staff on prescribing and medicines management and increased training has been arranged for the induction of staff.

The Trust is also in the process of reviewing its visiting policy and members of the Trust board and infection control team visited University College London Hospital in August to gain knowledge and share best practice.

On the request of the Trust, the Department of Health's health care associated infections improvement team will visit Bradford on Tuesday and Wednes-day, November 28 to 29, to ensure everything is being done within the Trust to reduce rates of MRSA.

e-mail: claire.lomax @bradford.newsquest.co.uk