HEALTH chiefs today pledged to continue their battle against the MRSA superbug after government figures revealed cases had increased in Hampshire.

The assurance came after figures showed the number of MRSA infections handled by Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust had increased from 53 in 2002/03 to 62 in the past year.

As reported in later editions of yesterday's Daily Echo, the 17 per cent rise was unveiled just three weeks after Southampton General Hospital had to close its intensive care

cardiac ward after patients were struck down with the notorious bug.

The figures also showed that Winchester and Eastleigh Health-care NHS Trust had 18 MRSA cases last year compared with 13 in 2002.

Today health bosses gave their assurance that preventing and containing cases of the potentially fatal superbug was a priority.

Tracey Cooper, consultant nurse infection control for Southampton and south-west Hampshire, said: "Our aim is to reduce the amount of avoidable infection to the absolute minimum. The team and the trust is committed to the prevention and control of infection. It is very much an ongoing battle."

Ms Cooper said Southampton's hospitals - the General, the Royal South Hants and the Princess Anne - had fared much better than other specialist centres of a similar size.

But she accepted: "Sixty-two cases is obviously 62 cases too many."

Ms Cooper said the trust had a detailed programme to prevent bugs like MRSA, with staff receiving ongoing infection control training.

In addition, new measures had been introduced which included the cleaning of fixed-grille radiators on the hospital wards and the use of ultra-violet machines to check hand-washing effectiveness.

Bosses at Winchester and Eastleigh Healthcare NHS Trust also said they took the issue of MRSA infection and management very seriously.

In a statement, the trust said: "We screen patients who are due to undergo higher-risk procedures and manage them on the basis of this in accordance with national guidance.

"We also follow national MRSA guidance to manage and treat patients colonised with MRSA - those who have the organism on their body but have no adverse effects from it."