HOSPITAL bosses have admitted they are unlikely to hit their target for limiting the number of C-diff cases this year.

East Lancashire Hospitals Trust has a target for the current financial year of 50 Clostridium difficile cases.

This figure allows for 46 cases on its wards and four in its community services by the end of March.

But with two months to go the trust has already seen 42 C-diff infections.

Lynn Wissett, the trust’s deputy chief executive, said it was struggling because it had experienced more than double the number of expected cases last April and May.

She admitted the trust had been ‘playing catch-up’ all year, despite cases falling drastically since that surge.

She said: “Our position is now 42 cases against a trajectory of 46.

“The likelihood is there is a high risk that we will not reach our target.”

The trust experienced five C-diff cases in December and five in January, both below expected levels for this time of year.

Clostridium difficile bacteria are found naturally in the gut of around two-thirds of children and three per cent of adults.

Some antibiotics that are used to treat other health conditions can interfere with the balance of these 'good' bacteria.

When this happens the bacteria can multiply and produce toxins, which cause illnesses such as diarrhoea and fever. In rare cases the infection can be fatal.

The trust has outperformed last year’s figures, but has struggled to meet tougher targets set this year as a result of its previous good performance.

Mrs Wissett said: “In areas where there have been outbreaks, infection control matrons work closely with wards to monitor the environmental cleaning, hand hygiene compliance and high impact interventions until the areas have achieved 100 per cent consecutively for at least three weeks.”