The number of cases of superbug clostridium difficile found in Oxfordshire hospitals fell by almost a quarter in the past year, new Department of Health figures show.
In the three months to June, the bug struck 173 times across the county's wards — down from 225 over the same period last year. Most of the cases were recorded by the Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals Trust, which runs the John Radcliffe and Churchill hospitals in Oxford, and Horton Hospital in Banbury. But the trust's 167 infections represented a decrease from the 224 counted in the same quarter last year.
However, the number of cases at the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre increased from one to six, making the county's overall reduction 23 per cent.
Nationally, the figures from the Health Protection Agency, published today showed a 35 per cent decrease on the same quarter in 2007.
Health Secretary Alan Johnson said: "It is immensely rewarding to see such a significant reduction in c difficile following our investment."
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