The number of deaths from infections picked up in hospital, including the so-called superbug MRSA, is four times higher than the government's official figure, campaigners claimed yesterday.
The MRSA support group said that the government's tally of 5,000 deaths a year comes from statistics compiled in 1994. Their analysis of statistics from official bodies suggests that the real number of annual deaths is closer to 20,000.
Half of those 20,000 deaths would be from the methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus bacteria, or MRSA, Tony Field of the group said. The government's 1994 break-down gave 800 out of 5,000 deaths as from MRSA.
Mr Field said the true tally of deaths from hospital-acquired infections could be higher than 20,000 a year.
"The situation is far worse even than this figure because doctors are not obliged to mention MRSA on a death certificate as a secondary cause of death. There's a lot of unreporting," he said.
Mr Field, 64, gave up his job as a financial adviser after being left on crutches by a hospital infection.
"It's quite outrageous," he said. "We call it the unnecessary infection because if the hospitals were clean and proper hygiene was undertaken the problem would be reduced enormously.
"The government is in a state of denial over the whole matter and they ought to wake up and face the truth before they can get matters right."
The Department of Health said it did not have a clear idea of the death rate, but added that the people who die from hospital acquired infections are already very sick, which is why their immune systems cannot fight the bacteria.
"It is difficult to establish whether MRSA is the cause of death as patients are often seriously ill with other conditions," said a spokeswoman, denying that the government was complacent.
"We are taking steps to make sure we have better information about the extent of health care associated infections.
"The Chief Medical Officer's report Winning Ways called for an audit of deaths from healthcare associated infections, which will be introduced from 2006, and therefore better data should be available in the future."
The government published plans earlier this year to improve the cleanliness and safety of hospitals, she said.
"These plans set out common sense measures that will help minimise the spread of MRSA, like staff washing their hands properly and matrons being given more power to improve cleanliness and infection control in their wards."
Paul Burstow, the Liberal Democrats' health spokesman, said nobody knew the scale of the problem, but attacked the government's handling of it.
"When it comes to fighting MRSA, this government is working in the dark.
"It neither has any idea of the true level of MRSA, nor has it actively sought to find out.
"Labour has a poor record on tackling hospital infections. A succession of announcements, stunts and gimmicks has failed to reverse the rising tide of infections. Ministers are guilty of talking tough about this problem, but wilfully failing to take the necessary steps to wipe it out."
