THIRTY eight cases of the MRSA superbug have been recorded at the Royal Bolton Hospital in the past 12 months, health chiefs have revealed.

The total is three more than was recorded in the previous year, but low compared to other hospitals.

Efforts to combat the spread of the bug - which is blighting hospitals throughout the UK - is being spearheaded by the infection control team, led by the hospital's Medical director, Ron Hopkins.

The team monitors all wards at the hospital to ensure maximum levels of hygiene.

A hospital spokesman said: "Our rates of MRSA are below the national average but, disappointingly, have increased slightly since last year.

"Although this is not as much as the increase at some hospitals, we do take our MRSA rates very seriously and a lot of work has been taking place to improve the situation."

The team is currently conducting a pilot scheme where members of staff have pouches of cleansing liquid attached to their belts so that if they are not near a sink, they can wash their hands easily.

The number of patients in England and Wales with MRSA is 7,647, an increase of 263 from the previous 12 months.

The bug enters patients' wounds or those weakened by disease or injury and is particularly dangerous after surgery but often lives on the skin without harm to the patient.

Professor Martyn Regan, Regional Epidemiologist with the Health Protection Agency North-west, said: "The increase may be partly accounted for by the fact that we are seeing more hospital admissions and that we are carrying out more tests for MRSA but, nonetheless, we are concerned about MRSA levels and it is something we take very seriously."

For every 1,000 hospital beds in the North-west, 0.14 beds were occupied by someone with MRSA. Rates for other regions went up to 0.25 per thousand beds.