The numbers of patients becoming infected with potentially lethal hospital superbug MRSA fell only slightly last year, despite promises to step up the fight against superbugs.

Newly released figures show there were 533 cases of bloodstream MRSA infection reported last year, compared with 588 in 2006.

Trend

Although the trend has been downward since 2005 -- when there were 592 cases -- patients remain at serious risk of infection.

Health Minister Mary Harney said the target over the next three to five years remains to reduce hospital-acquired infections by 20pc and MRSA by 30pc. The aim is to cut our use of antibiotics, which contribute to the growth in these infections, by a fifth, she said.

However, the Irish Independent has learned that there are only 11 hospitals around the country which have full-time in-house microbiologists.

These are specialists who are instrumental in preventing infection, reducing its spread and treating patients.

The lack of these experts was highlighted recently when Dublin coroner Dr Kieran Geraghty called for the appointment of a microbiologist at St Columcille's hospital in Loughlinstown, Co Dublin, where 16 patients died of superbugs including MRSA and C difficile over seven months last year. That post has been advertised in recent days.

And the report into the death of Tania McCabe after giving birth to twins in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda, Co Louth, also emphasised the need for a microbiologist to be appointed there. A Health Service Executive (HSE) spokesman said there are currently 34 funded microbiologist posts and three virologists operating in acute hospitals.

"This represents an increase of up to fifteen posts since 2001," the spokesman said. "Eleven hospitals have full-time consultant microbiologists in situ".

Outbreak

Other hospitals have microbiologists who work on a part-time basis. This arrangement was recently put in place in Ennis General, which last year had a serious outbreak of C difficile.

The HSE said: "Since 2006, in addition to recruiting consultant microbiology posts, the HSE has appointed a large number of infection control personnel including surveillance scientists, pharmacists and infection control nurses."

However, Martin Cormican, Prof of Bacteriology at NUI Galway, warned that health staff are hearing more about budget control than infection control.

He said doctors in hospitals without a microbiologist may have to resort to ringing a colleague elsewhere looking for advice after a patient contracts a serious infection.

He pointed out this was very unsatisfactory because the microbiologist was without key information about the patient and could not examine them.

He added that while microbiologists could not be appointed to every hospital there should be teams set up to service a network of hospitals.

Dr Edmond Smyth , microbiologist at St Vincent's Hospital and his colleague Hilary Humphreys in Beaumont Hospital said recently: "As consultant microbiologists in a busy Dublin hospital, we are frequently contacted by colleagues in hospitals without microbiologists, seeking advice on the management of complex infections, often in very seriously ill patients.

"We offer the advice reluctantly. We cannot assess the patients. We are dependent on the information conveyed, which may be incomplete; and we have no involvement in the microbiological examination of patient material.

"Hence our advice cannot be optimal, despite our best efforts, and patient care may be compromised."

They pointed out that the Strategy for the Control of Antimicrobial Resistance in Ireland (SARI), launched by the previous health minister in 2001, clearly indicated the need for additional microbiologists