A NEW bacteria-busting campaign has been launched at Worcestershire's hospitals - to hammer home a good hand hygiene message to staff and patients.

With public concern on the rise about hospital-acquired infections such as the so-called "superbug" MRSA, the campaign was launched by Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust this week.

It highlights the importance of scrupulous hand hygiene in limiting the spread of infection at Worcestershire Royal Hospital, Kidderminster Hospital and the Alexandra, in Redditch.

The hospitals' infection control team have issued alcohol hands rub dispensers to all staff, which they must use to disinfect their hands before and after contact with every patient.

The trust's director of infection prevention and control Dr Chris Catchpole, said: "We expect that doctors will provide leadership and act as role models for their clinical teams in promoting good hand hygiene practice.

"It is encouraging that many staff of all categories already use personal alcohol gel dispensers and we hope to build on the progress made so far.

"Our modern matrons, who have responsibility for cleanliness and hygiene in their clinical areas, have an important role to play in the campaign, too.

"Visitors to our hospitals are also being urged to participate by using the wall-mounted alcohol dispensers, which are placed at the entrances to clinical areas, when they come in and go out.

"There is strong evidence that good hand hygiene among staff and visitors can have a significant impact on reducing the risk to our patients of picking up an infection while they are in hospital."

Doctors across the trust are also being given an innovative CD-Rom, giving infection control information and advice, as well as a questionnaire that they must complete to prove they have taken it in.

The campaign comes after the Evening News last week revealed the number of cases of MRSA at the county's hospitals is already on the decrease.

Between April 2003 and March 2004 there were 57 cases of the potentially deadly hospital-acquired infection across the three hospitals.

That averaged out to 15 diagnoses per three months, and between April and June this year there were again 15 cases diagnosed.

However, over the last three months there have only been four.