Official figures confirm that the number of MRSA-related deaths has fallen, reports the London Evening Standard.

Information released by the Office for National Statistics shows that almost 40 per cent fewer people died due to the MRSA superbug in 2010, those with nurse manager jobs may be interested to learn, compared with 2009.

The figures have been continually falling since 2006, where the number of recorded deaths was 1,652. In 2010, the figure had dropped significantly to 485.

25 hospitals, according to BBC News, have been "free" of MRSA for over a year.

Additionally, the numbers of deaths linked to Clostridium difficile (C.diff) has also dropped by 31 per cent, from 8,324 in 2007 to 2,704 in 2010.

In both cases, deaths were predominantly recorded among those who were 85 years of age and older.

The decline comes a year after the government ordered all hospitals publish "weekly infection rates" in an attempt to "increase NHS transparency."

The aim is for rates to eventually be produced per individual hospital ward, making all staff accountable.

However, there has been criticism that due to these pressures, the NHS has become so focused on preventing the spread of MRSA and C.diff, they are neglecting other viruses.

The study showed that there has been an increase in patients contracting bugs such as E.coli.