Hospital superbug deaths rise 72 per cent in just one year, killing 6,500

The Clostridium difficile stomach bug killed or hastened the death of almost 6,500 patients in 2006 - a staggering 72 per cent rise on the previous year.

And since 1990 the number of people infected by the bug has risen almost 50-fold. It is a bigger killer than MRSA.

Patients' representatives and politicians said the figures highlighted the failure of numerous Government drives to halt the rise of the bug, which thrives in filthy conditions and can be combated with simple soap and water.

With the majority of cases - and deaths - among pensioners in hospitals and care homes, Help the Aged likened the failure to control the bug to "taking a scythe to some of the most ill and vulnerable people in our society".

Spokesman Charlotte Potter said: "Everybody should be able to go into hospital in the hope of getting better, not to run the risk of acquiring other illnesses as a result of poor hygiene."

Age Concern said fear of catching C. diff was "a major concern for older people and their families when they go into hospital".

Tory health spokesman Andrew Lansley said:"Almost three times as many people are now killed by hospital infections as are killed on the roads each year.

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"The overall scale of infection is unacceptable and the need for a comprehensive infection control strategy, including improved antibiotic prescribing and access to isolation facilities, hand hygiene and cleanliness is paramount." C. diff was noted as a cause of death on 6,480 death certificates, the 2006 figures released yesterday show.

In more than half of these cases, it was the main cause. In the others, it contributed towards the death.

Deaths from MRSA are also high, with the bug involved in 1,652 deaths in 2006. Since 1993, it has been linked to 9,510 deaths.

Patients' representatives and politicians questioned why it had taken so long for the Government to realise the seriousness of deadly infections such as C. diff.

Liberal Democrat health spokesman Norman Lamb said: "People have been dying in increasing numbers for years, yet the Government did nothing."

Infection experts say the soaring number of C. diff deaths is partly due to the emergence of a superdeadly strain which is particularly resistant to detergents. Since taking grip in the UK three years ago, it now accounts for more than half of cases.

C. diff exists naturally in the stomachs of many healthy adults, where it is kept under control by 'friendly bacteria'.

The problems start if the balance of bacteria is disturbed, perhaps by administering antibiotics for another infection.

Once the "friendly" bacteria are killed off, the C. diff are able to multiply and produce poisons which cause diarrhoea and, in the worst cases, a potentially fatal infection.

The bug is difficult to wipe out because it is resistant to some standard disinfectants.

But soap and water can be used to clean the hands, while powerful disinfectants can keep floors bug-free.

The Department of Health said the rise in C. diff deaths could partly be attributed to GPs having been reminded to include superbugs on death certificates.

Chief microbiologist Professor Brian Duerden insisted infection rates were on a par with other developed countries and had recently started to fall.

He added: "Since 2006 we have taken significant steps to tackle infections.

"These include stringent handwashing guidance for the NHS, a bare-below-the-elbows dress code, putting matrons back in charge of cleanliness on their wards and an on-going deep clean of every ward.

"Now MRSA and C. difficile infections are falling."