EVERY patient entering two Merseyside hospitals for surgery will be screened for MRSA, it has been revealed.

From March 9, everyone who comes to Whiston Hospital or St Helens Hospital for planned surgery will be screened for the superbug. The Trust already screens a large number of patients, including those in orthopaedics and burns. The screening involves a simple swab being taken from the patient’s nose or throat. This is then tested and, if no MRSA is found, the patient will undergo their surgery.

If the infection is present, patients will be given a course of antiseptic body wash and ointment to use.

If the patient still tests positive for MRSA, they will be cared for in a single room or with other patients who also have the infection.

MRSA is a germ which is carried harmlessly by many people in their nose, throat or on their skin without causing any infection.

The screening programme is just one of a range of infection control measures used by the Trust to keep patients safe, including the promotion of hand hygiene, training and education of staff and a deep clean of all clinical areas.

Chief Executive, Ann Marr, said: “Our patients are our number one priority and we are committed to caring for them in an environment that is as safe and clean as possible. We are never complacent about infection and the Trust is extending MRSA screening as part of our commitment to reduce our already-low rates and risks even further.”

The Trust was the only one in the North West – and one of only five in the whole country – to meet all of the requirements of the Healthcare Commission’s Hygiene Code in 2008.