The number of cases of the potentially-fatal MRSA superbug found in Oxfordshire hospitals has fallen by two-thirds, new figures have shown.

In the three months leading up to June this year, the bug struck 11 times at the John Radcliffe and Churchill hospitals in Oxford and the Horton Hospital in Banbury — down from 33 in the equivalent quarter two years earlier.

The Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals Trust attributed the fall to a range of anti-infection measures, including strict hand hygiene, new safeguards for the insertion of intravenous lines into patients and thorough investigations of all infections to prevent them recurring.

Lily O'Connor, infection control manager for Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals, said: "It's very encouraging to see that in the past two years there has been a decline in MRSA-related bloodstream infections in our hospitals.

"Staff have been extremely enthusiastic and focused on working to reduce all healthcare related infections.

"It is important, however, we are not complacent about MRSA and the whole of the NHS continues to drive towards tackling all avoidable bloodstream infections."

Across England, the number of MRSA infections fell by more than half from 1,742 between April and June 2006, to 836 in the latest quarter.

In an open letter to all NHS staff, Prime Minister Gordon Brown attributed the dramatic fall to their hard work and dedication. He said: "Tackling infections and improving safety in our hospitals is one of our highest priorities as a Government.

"Not only will this huge improvement make the NHS a far safer place to be treated and cared for, but I believe it protects the reputation of one of Britain's greatest institutions."

Health Secretary Alan Johnson said the figures, which were published yesterday by the Health Protection Agency, showed the risk of becoming infected with an MRSA bug was at its lowest for five years.

Linda Souch, 44, from Witney, contracted the MRSA superbug after major surgery for breast cancer at the John Radcliffe Hospital.

In 2006, after being diagnosed with the cancer, Mrs Souch had a mastectomy followed by reconstructive surgery.

When she returned home, she remembers experiencing strange symptoms, including dehydration and a soaring temperature.

When her husband contacted doctors and explained her symptoms he was at first told it sounded like a "touch of flu".

Eventually, Mrs Souch was taken back into hospital where she suffered heart failure and was sent into a drug induced coma.

It took doctors several days to diagnose MRSA.

Mrs Souch, who lost all but one of her toes to the disease, said: "It is definitely good news for people going into hospital now, but it's no benefit to me.

"It is good sign for the future, but I want to know why the situation was allowed to get that bad in the first place.

"It seems people are much more knowledgable about the dangers now — and maybe that is why the figures have dropped."