Written question asked by Harry Cohen (Labour) on Tuesday, 20 March 2007, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 22 March 2007. It was answered by Ivan Lewis (Labour) on Tuesday, 17 April 2007 on behalf of the Department of Health.

MRSA

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research she has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the potential incidence of MRSA and like infections in GPs' surgeries.

Answer: The Department is not at present funding studies that relate specifically to methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and general practitioners’ premises. Much of the current research aimed at improving our understanding of environmental influences on infection spread, and on cleaning and decontamination methods, will however be relevant to that setting. Additionally, the increasing recognition of the need to improve our understanding of spread of MRSA within the community will influence future research priorities.

Secondary information