Written question asked by Lord Watson of Wyre Forest (Labour) on Thursday, 17 February 2011, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 28 February 2011. It was answered by Simon Burns (Conservative) on Tuesday, 1 March 2011 on behalf of the Department of Health.

MRSA: Screening

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to improve methods of screening against the MRSA bacterium; and if he will make a statement.

Answer: A variety of methods are available to national health service trusts to screen against Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Individual trusts make their own decisions on which tests or combinations of tests to use depending on their clinical case mix and workload. The local clinical need will determine test selection. Rapid and more sensitive methods have been available to the NHS for a number of years and trusts make their own decisions on matching the technologies to their service needs.In 2004, as part of the Department's commitment to ensuring the NHS has access to effective infection prevention and control technologies, it has asked the Health Protection Agency to convene the Rapid Review Panel (RRP). This provides a prompt assessment of new and novel equipment, materials and other products or protocols that may be of value to the NHS and social care in the prevention and control of hospital associated infections.

Secondary information