Written question asked by Andrew Mackinlay (Labour) on Tuesday, 13 July 2004, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 8 September 2004. It was answered by Baroness Smith of Basildon (Labour) on Wednesday, 8 September 2004 on behalf of the Northern Ireland Office.

Northern Ireland Office

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether a voluntary reporting system by hospitals in Northern Ireland of MRSA cases is in place. - Including ref to Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre and statistical reports in Library and at www.edscni.org.

Answer: Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether a voluntary reporting system by hospitals in Northern Ireland of MRSA cases is in place. [184777] Angela Smith: In April 2002 the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety made it a mandatory requirement for acute Trusts to report MRSA bacteraemia rates. The data is collected, collated and analysed by the Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre, Northern Ireland (CDSC) and statistical reports for the first two years of operation are available from its website www.cdscni.org. A copy of this report has been placed in the House Library.

Secondary information