A hospital trust with one of the highest rates of MRSA in the country says it is beginning to gain control of the number of infections.

Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust reported 29 cases between October and December last year.

This is an improvement compared to previous quarters when the trust recorded 36 cases over a three-month period.

In a report published by the Healthcare Commission last year, the trust was found to have the third highest rate of infections in England and Wales with 129 reported cases between April 2004 and March 2005, an increase of 22 on the year before.

The trust has been working to cut rates through a publicity campaign encouraging people to use hand gel before and after they have visited a ward.

Staff have also been given extra training from the trust's infection control team, especially in areas such as intensive care where people are more likely to contract the infection from intravenous needles used for drips.

The team took part in a presentation and question and answer session in Burgess Hill for stakeholders including community representatives, patient groups, councillors and local charities.

It included a brief presentation outlining the myths and reality of MRSA and other hospital-acquired infections and the important of infection control.

Those attending were given the opportunity to take the clean hands challenge and examine their hands under an ultraviolet light box.

The box, which highlights areas which have been missed during washing, is used by the trust to educate staff about the importance of good hand hygiene.

Chief executive Peter Coles said:

"I hope everyone who attended the event found it to be useful and informative. We are very keen to involve the community in learning more about issues facing their local hospitals.

"MRSA and infection control is a subject which the trust takes very seriously and we want to be open about what we're doing to tackle this."

The trust is planning another meeting in May when it will focus on its financial pressures and their implications for health care.