HOSPITAL bosses have issued a pledge over the MRSA superbug after it was revealed levels of the disease in East Lancashire hospitals failed to drop.

The Trust insists its poor performance is because measures to tackle the problem were put into place after the statistics were collated.

National MRSA figures are at their lowest since records began in 2001 with a six per cent drop from April to September 2004 compared with the same period the previous year. But East Lancashire's figures are at the same level as they were in 2003 -- and higher than in 2001.

East Lancashire was 130th out of 173 NHS Hospital Trusts, ranked by their MRSA rate in April to September 2004.

But the Trust is confident the figures for the next six months, which will look at September 2004 to March 2005 will reflect its efforts.

The Office for National Statistics said MRSA was mentioned on 955 death certificates across the UK in 2003, up from 487 in 1999. Experts have so far uncovered 17 strains of MRSA, with differing degrees of immunity to the effects of various antibiotics.

There were 28 reports of MRSA in East Lancashire from April to September 2001, rising to 36 from April 2004 to September 2004.

Richard Gildert, Acting Chief Executive for East Lancashire Hospitals Trust, said: "We have introduced a number of new measures to reduce the incidence of hospital acquired infection including participation in the recent 'Think Clean Day' and the introduction of the Matron's Charter.

"We are also reviewing the cleaning schedules across our hospitals.

"MRSA is most commonly spread via the hands. We continue to stress the importance of hand-washing to our staff and are working on information for patients and visitors on this issue.

"With these measures and the help of all our staff we aim to reduce MRSA rates in East Lancashire Hospitals."

Greg Pope, MP for Hyndburn, said: "East Lancashire Hospitals have done a lot to stop this and the risk of getting the super bug is very low.

"But I would like to see us in the top third of the table not the bottom. I think we have a long way to go until we are at a stage which is acceptable."

Mollie Manthorpe, chairman of the hospital patients forum, said: "We have had concerns from people who have had MRSA or are worried about getting it but the hospital are trying to monitor the situation. We hope that the next lot of figures will reflect the hard work but they will look at the winter period where figures are often higher then anyway.

"We have been in discussions with the hospital about how we can lower the numbers which we have been aware of for some time and change them. We will be looking at how other successful hospitals are placing their strategies better."