HEALTH chiefs have welcomed Government measures to combat a deadly bug striking down patients on wards across the UK.

The Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs Northwich's Victoria Infirmary and Leighton Hospital in Crewe, says it is working to improve infection control after national figures revealed some hospitals have far higher infection rates of the hospital-acquired bug, called MRSA, than others.

Health Secretary John Reid said the NHS was not doing as well as it should in the fight against infections and the Government is introducing a raft of measures designed to boost hygiene standards in hospitals.

Ministers say every hospital will have a director of infection control - a 'bugbuster' - to halt increasing rates of drug-resistant bugs like MRSA, which can kill, cause limbs to be lost or cause other long-term disability.

The action plan will give this senior manager the power to enforce strict rules on hygiene. He or she will run teams whose role is to track down potential sources of infection.

They are to be encouraged to talk to every staff member to make sure they understand the importance of hand-washing - the main way of preventing infections.

The Government has also commissioned extra research into hospital infections.

But the trust says it already employs a consultant microbiologist, who has a similar role to the infection control directors.

Dr Maire O'Donoghue has been a consultant microbiologist with the trust for 10 years and heads a team of infection-control nurses that operate at both hospitals. She said: 'The control of MRSA is at the forefront of the work carried out by the infection control team.

'The infection control nurses have reinforced the benefits of hand hygiene among staff at all levels.

'They ran a highly visible campaign on hand-washing throughout both hospitals, backed up with a series of targeted posters.

'Along with everyone working in the NHS, we welcome the announcement of further investment for research into hospital-acquired infections.'

In Mid Cheshire, the number of people contracting MRSA has remained stable over the past two years.

The trust had 20 reported cases between April 2001 and March 2002 - this increased to 23 cases in the same period up to April 1 this year.

It fared significantly better than the Countess of Chester Hospital, with 31 cases rising to 39.

Dr O'Donoghue added: 'The trust has a low rate of MRSA compared to similar trusts across England and we will continue working to reduce these levels even further.'

The trust is awaiting further clarification from the Government about whether or not there will be a need to create another role within its hospitals.