80% of hospital infections going unreported

London: Thousands of patients are dying because the Health Service has "taken its eye off the ball" on many types of hospital infection, warn MPs.

They say the NHS has become so focused on tackling two types of bug — MRSA and C.diff, that it has lost track of the rest. Only 15 per cent of health care acquired infections are down to MRSA and C.diff — meaning more than 80 per cent are falling under the radar.

Studies show there have been dramatic increases in the number of hospital patients coming down with other bugs such as E.coli.

But the NHS says it has no idea how many deaths there are every year from health care acquired infections other than MRSA and C.diff. Ministers have ignored calls to force trusts to record all cases but experts say annual fatalities run into the thousands.

A report by MPs of the Commons public accounts committee warns the cost of dealing with the hospital bugs crisis costs over £1 billion (Dh6.12 billion) a year.

It says the situation could get worse because bugs are becoming resistant to antibiotics because of overuse. Waiting-time targets have also put people at risk because beds are not being left empty long enough for them to be properly cleaned, according to the report.

Committee chairman Edward Leigh said: "The Department of Health has achieved significant reductions in MRSA bloodstream and Clostridium difficile infections, for which it set national targets. But, in so doing, it has taken its eye off the ball regarding all other health care associated infections."