VISITS to Huddersfield hospital wards could soon be restricted in a bid to combat the deadly MRSA superbug.

Measures including limiting the number of visitors to a bed and keeping wards tidier are some of the things being considered by hospital chiefs to help cleaning staff to do their jobs more efficiently.

The move by Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Trust - which is responsible for sites including Huddersfield Royal Infirmary and St Luke's Hospital - comes after the Government set a target for hospitals to reduce MRSA rates by 60% by 2008.

With 24 cases reported in the trust's area in the last nine months - the national average is 38 - local health chiefs are on course to reduce MRSA levels this year.

The trust's senior infection control nurse, Carole Hallam, said: "It is not about stopping visitors, because they are very therapeutic for patients.

"It is about controlling the number of visitors to a sensible one. We need to make sure hospital areas are tidy to enable domestic staff to do their jobs."

At present, the trust allows two visitors to a bedside between 2pm and 4pm and 6pm and 8pm, although some areas are unrestricted.

A hospital strategy group has been set up to consider the changes.

Clinical practices - including the provision of alcohol handrub dispensers at the end of every bed - are also being reviewed to help the trust reduce cases of the deadly bug.

Ms Hallam added: "We have asked all areas to provide action plans, but everyone knows we need to improve hand hygiene.

"The trust is supporting the introduction of alcohol hand gel at the end of every bed to enable doctors and nurses to rapidly decontaminate their hands before and after patient contact.

"Alcohol is very good at killing bugs on hands. As soon as it dries it kills them," said Ms Hallam.

"This is a major step forward and the trust has made very good progress.

"We want patients to feel confident about their local hospital."

All beds are to have hand gel in place by the end of the month.

Examples of the trust's work to combat MRSA have been presented to officials at the Government's Department of Health.