Shropshire’s two main hospitals have gone more than two months without a case of the MRSA, health bosses were being told today.

A report to the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust board says there have been no MRSA infections since the start of April.

The trust has been set the tough target of having no more than six cases across the Royal Shrewsbury and Princess Royal sites between April and the end of next March.

And so far there have only been seven cases of Clostridium Difficile (C.Diff) – three at Shrewsbury, four at Telford.

The target is to have no more than 166 over the year.

The report says that two of the C.Diff infections were on one ward which has now had additional cleaning.

A number of other key targets have also been met.

For example during April – the latest available figures – the trust narrowly exceeded the A&E standard that 98 per cent of patients must be admitted, discharged or transferred within four hours with a rate of 98.66 per cent.

Referrals

The hospitals have met the targets that 90 per cent of inpatients must be admitted within 18 weeks of referral and that 95 per cent of outpatients must be treated within this time period.

But the trust has failed to meet the Government demand that 93 per cent of cancer patients must wait no longer than 14 days from referral to their first appointment with a consultant. The Shrewsbury and Telford figure is 84.61 per cent.

However the integrated report says that 128 people chose to wait longer than the 14 days to be seen.

The board was also discussing today the findings of the Francis Inquiry into care at the Mid Staffordshire NHS Trust following hundreds of deaths.

The inquiry found a “shocking” systematic failure as the organisation focused on costs and targets.

A report to the board details the inquiry recommendations and safeguards in place at Shrewsbury and Telford .

The report says: “The trust has many areas of good practice but should not be complacent. The trust must constantly review and challenge practice in order to deliver the highest possible standards of care.”

By Dave Morris