SUPERBUG infections have fallen at both Basildon and Southend hospitals in the last three months, new figures have shown.

Reports of the infections clostridium difficile and MRSA have dropped, according to statistics from the Health Protection Agency.

The number of c.diff reports for patients over the age of 65 rose from 247 to 352 at Southend Hospital between 2004 and 2006. For Basildon it grew from 410 to 545 in the same period.

But reports of the infection decreased throughout 2007, with Southend reporting 56 cases in the last three months of the year and Basildon Hospital reporting just 47.

In the same three-month period last year, patients under the age of 65 also contracted less c.diff infections.

Reports of patients with the infection fell in Basildon Hospital from 38 to 14 and at Southend hospital it dropped from seven to four in the same period.

Overall in recent years, reports of MRSA have gone down. In Basildon, outbreaks dropped from 60 in 2001 to 24 in 2006. At Southend Hospital, reports of MRSA fell from 33 to 21 in the same period of time.

The Healthcare Comm- ission will carry out unannounced visits at all trusts this year and could close wards if it finds severe problems.

The commission will be looking at how well hospitals prevent patients from contracting infections, such as the MRSA superbug and clostridium difficile.