TORBAY Hospital is winning its war on the MRSA virus, according to new figures.

Consultant microbiologist Dr Tony Maggs, the hospital's director of infection control and prevention, gave South Devon Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust's board of directors the news this week.

He said MRSA blood infections which have developed in the hospital have reduced by 84 per cent since 2005/06.

There were three cases between April 2008 and March 2009 which were thought to have been hospital-acquired.

Dr Maggs said this means Torbay Hospital accounts for a smaller proportion of all MRSA infection cases than any other South West acute hospital.

He felt the figures indicate Torbay Hospital is being more successful in minimising hospital-acquired MRSA.

Dr Maggs also reported the number of new MRSA cases across the community seems to be reducing.

Cases of another 'superbug', Clostridium difficile, have also continued to fall, reducing by more than 60 per cent in the past two years.

The number recorded at Torbay Hospital is the smallest of any South West acute hospital in proportion to the total number in each hospital's area.

Torbay Hospital has also managed to keep the stomach bug norovirus at bay for much of the year, according to the health chiefs.

This has reduced the number of days any of its wards had to take the precaution of not admitting new patients, to prevent them from being potentially exposed to the infection.

A hospital spokesman said: "The evidence was that this was achieved despite norovirus being prevalent in South Devon and a significant proportion of patients arriving in hospital already suffering from the infection."

Torbay Hospital has introduced MRSA screening for all patients coming into hospital for planned operations or treatment, in line with the NHS requirement for universal screening, starting in April.

The hospital's aim is for there to be no hospital-acquired cases of MRSA infection this year, and no on-ward transmission of Clostridium difficile within the hospital.