Deaths linked to the hospital superbug MRSA reached record levels in Scotland last year, with the number recorded more than double that logged seven years ago.

Deaths linked to the hospital superbug MRSA reached record levels in Scotland last year, with the number recorded more than double that logged seven years ago.

The infection was a factor in 230 deaths during 2007, according to data from death certificates released by the General Register Office for Scotland yesterday.

In 56 cases, MRSA killed the patient and in 174 it was a contributory cause. The toll varied between different hospitals, with 14 deaths at Ninewells in Dundee and 13 at Stobhill in Glasgow.

Patient groups said the figures were worrying but not surprising. Back in 1996 doctors certifying deaths noted MRSA as a factor on just 34 occasions. It is understood greater awareness among health professionals of the condition has led to the rise since then.

Dr Jean Turner, a former GP who now serves as executive director of the Scotland Patients' Association, said she believed the number who lose their lives to the superbug may still be under-reported.

"I think there is a danger we still do not know the extent of it yet," she said.

"I know everyone is working hard, but I think there is a way to go."

MRSA is a type of bacterium - Staphylococcus aureus (SA) - which is carried on the surface of the skin by around a third of the population. It begins to cause problems when it breaks into the body, with surgical wounds and entry points for tubes and catheters presenting a particular problem.

Straightforward SA infections can be treated with antibiotics but the bacteria has mutated, becoming resistant to such treatments, creating the MRSA superbug which is much harder to fight.

Dr Turner said, despite the high profile of the infection, she believed people still did not understand the role they could play in combating the problem. The number of patients diagnosed with an MRSA infection in Scottish hospitals has been falling slowly for some 15 months. New data, released this week, showed the fifth consecutive drop between April and June this year, when the number of cases fell to 185, compared to 197 for the previous three months.

While acknowledging the rise in mortality, the Scottish Government has welcomed this trend. A spokeswoman said: "It is disappointing to see any increase in deaths attributed to MRSA infection. However, it is important to note that these figures cover the period to the end of 2007. Information released on Wednesday on serious MRSA infections in 2008 gives us cause for cautious optimism that a corner is now being turned."

Derek Butler, chairman of charity MRSA Action UK, is less convinced the problem is coming under control. He said: "I just do not think the policies they have in place are having the impact they were hoping they would have ... It doesn't surprise me that the number of deaths has gone up. They need to step up their game."

Widespread screening of hospital staff for MRSA is among the measures he would like to see introduced.