Derby's NHS hospital trust defends C-Diff rates

Infections such as Clostridium Difficle are falling in number at Derby hospitals even though there were 28 cases in 10 weeks, officials say.

Health Protection Agency figures cover the period from 15 March-31 May.

A trust spokesman said in all of last year the trust had 118 cases - well beneath its 156-case target.

She said the number of infections was small given that 32,000 people were treated in the 10-week period.

"The number of cases needs to be looked at in relation to the number of patients moving through the hospital," Emma Wilkinson Brice, the director of nursing at Derby Hospitals NHS Trust, said.

"In this 10 week-period we saw approximately 32,000 patients and of these 28 cases of C-Difficile were recorded.

"We will continue to work tirelessly to further reduce our healthcare associated infections," she said.

Over the same period, Nottingham had 15 cases of C-Difficle and Leicester had 28.