THE number of cases of the bacterium 'Clostridium difficile' has fallen by 20 per cent at Plymouth hospitals, according to the latest figures released by the Health Protection Agency.
The bacterium, which causes diarrohea and more serious intestinal conditions, has particularly affected a number of patients at Derriford Hospital.
Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust said it now has one of the lowest rates of any teaching hospital in the country.
Between April and September 2008, 93 cases of C difficile were recorded at Derriford for patients aged two and over, compared with 117 cases recorded in the same period the previous year.