MRSA levels in Milton Keynes are low: the aim is to make them even lower with a new screening programme launched this month for all patients attending hospital for planned surgery*. All non-emergency patients at Milton Keynes Hospital NHS Foundation Trust will be screened for MRSA before the date they are being admitted to hospital.

The screening programme is part of a Department of Health initiative to further reduce MRSA infections in England. MRSA screening has been carried out for a number of years for patients regarded as being at risk from MRSA. This has been extended to all patients coming to the hospital for elective operations and procedures, which means that for most patients a swab will be taken during a pre-assessment appointment.

MRSA levels in Milton Keynes are very low. The screening will help find anyone who has MRSA on their skin before they come into hospital and make sure they cause no risk to themselves or others.

MRSA is entirely harmless to most healthy people…