OUTBREAKS of the potentially deadly MRSA superbug have increased in Southampton's hospitals, the Daily Echo can reveal today.

Infections at Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust rose to 34 between April and September last year - up from 31 cases in the six months to March 2004. It means health chiefs are bracing themselves for a record number of infections in 2004 and 2005. The worrying increase - which bucked the national downward trend - came despite a government campaign to eradicate the bug.

Southampton's infection rate was 0.16 cases per 1,000 hospital beds, compared to 0.14 cases six months earlier. There were seven MRSA infections at Winchester and Eastleigh Healthcare NHS Trust between April and September last year, compared to 11 cases in the six months to March 2004.

This was a rate of 0.08 cases per 1,000 hospital beds - the 12th best in England. It compared to 0.15 cases in the previous six months.

Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Trust was fourth best for tackling superbugs, according the figures published by the Health Protection Agency.

It had just four cases between April and September last year, and an infection rate of 0.05.

Nationally infections caused by MRSA fell from 3,940 between October 2003 and March 2004 to 3,519 between April and September 2004, the lowest since records began.

Health Secretary John Reid announced the figures at the same time as revealing the introduction of a new swab programme to identify patients with MRSA "within hours rather than days''.

The government has already introduced a range of measures to combat superbugs, including putting matrons in charge of ward hygiene and campaigns to promote hand washing.