A private hospital has reached a landmark figure in its battle to wipe out infections.

The rigorous hygiene regime at Spire Murrayfield Hospital on the Wirral has enabled them to maintain high infection control standards with 700 consecutive infection-free days.

The latest figures show hospital acquired infections like MRSA and CDiff showed a rate of zero per cent at the 57-bed hospital, part of the Spire Group, currently Hospital Group of the Year for the second year running.

The news has been welcomed by Mark Swatton, Spire Murrayfield’s Acting Clinical Services Manager, who said: “We have a very good record in relation to infection control. The fact that we have individual rooms for patients means that more effective barriers against the transmission of infection can be created.

“We are also rigorous in our approach to traditional methods of combatting infection such as hand-washing and we even have our own cleaning teams rather than relying on contractors.

“Clearly we know about the pressures elsewhere as far as occupancy rates are concerned but we are happy that our infection control figures are very impressive.”

The hospital, which has been open for 30 years, carries out over 8,500 operations a year in three operating theatres, two of them with laminar flow clean-air systems to guard against infection.

Over 5,000 of the operations are carried out on day care patients are able to return home to convalesce.

Consultant Vascular Surgeon Mr Leith Williams, who also practices at the Countess of Chester Hospital, deals with a range of outpatient and day care operations and he said: “The hospital has a zero infections rate in its three operating theatres and the fact is that you are also far less likely to develop complications if you spend less time in hospital.

“It all helps in delivering the high quality service which our patients deserve.”

Spire Murrayfield, which employs 260 staff and a team of specialist consultants, has also invested over £1 million in its systems and equipment in the past 12 months with a new care centre costing £330,000 opened earlier this year and an £850,000 state-of-the-art MRI Scanner, the most advanced of its kind in the area, installed last year.

It is part of an upgrade to the facilities at a time when the hospital is experiencing growing demand from self-paying patients.

Ward Sister Debbie Hardwick, who is in charge of infection control, said: “We have made considerable investment in infection control with the clean air systems we have and the protocols we follow to ensure absolute cleanliness.

“Spire Healthcare are a national company with almost 40 hospitals in the group and they believe in reinvesting into their hospitals. Locally we’ve been allocated close to £500,000.

“We’re very proud of our record on hospital acquired infections. The latest outcome statistics for MRSA bacteraemia and C Diff for Spire Murrayfield showed a rate of zero per cent.

“We have a very high level of infection control at the hospital but there is no room for complacency. We are very vigilant because it’s about making sure that everything that needs to be done is done to make sure we maintain our high record.”

Acting Hospital Director Julie Watkinson said: “It’s a very important issue and when patients come into hospital it’s one of the first questions they ask.

“It used to be all about waiting lists and finance but now one of the key questions is about the infection rates within the hospital.

“It can have a really bad effect on the outcomes of surgery so it is a paramount priority is to make sure that everything is spot on.

“There has been a recent increase in the number of cases of MRSA and C Diff in the NHS so we are pleased that our rigorous attention to procedures like hand-washing and the use of our own team of cleaners is keeping them at bay here.

“Our aim at Spire is to be world class and to do that you’ve got to invest in the business to ensure the best possible treatment for our patients.”