Dr Alison Loftus-Hills, the lead assessor from the Healthcare Commission acknowledges that infection control is now a ‘top priority’ for the Trust, and that staff ‘at all levels’ have been behind the turnaround.

She also reiterates that ‘substantial progress’ has been made since the original report was published in July 2006, and that levels of the infection are the lowest (for acute hospitals) in the Trust’s strategic health authority area.

“We would like to commend all staff at the Trust for the improvement to systems and processes that have had a corresponding impact on infection rates and ultimately patient safety and quality of care,” she wrote. 

Welcoming the end of the commission’s involvement, Ms Eden said: “This is formal recognition of the journey the Trust has made since the report was published.

“Whilst I welcome this news, we know we can never be complacent and we will continue to place the control of infections among our highest priorities.

“We asked our patients what their number one issue was and they told us they wanted clean, safe hospitals and to have no undue concerns about hospital acquired infections.

“We’ve made that our first patient promise, and we are striving to ensure that we eliminate avoidable infections altogether.”

Low rates of C. difficile infections place the Trust in the best performing third of hospital Trusts in the country.

A range of measures, including mandatory hand hygiene training for all staff, limiting the use of some types of antibiotics and ensuring there are handwashing products by every bedside have all contributed to low infection rates.