NHS South East Coast has pledged to wipe out MRSA hospital infections and reduce heart disease, stroke and cancer deaths by 2011.

In a new report published on Tuesday, the health authority has set out its priorities for improving public health and the health service in Kent, Sussex and Surrey by 2011.

It is the first time the NHS has been able to set its own goals at a regional level, and has made tackling hospital infection its top priority.

The authority has set itself an “ambitious” target of eliminating all hospital acquired MRSA cases in the region in next three years, and aims to reduce the number of Clostridium difficile (c.diff) cases - responsible for more than 90 deaths in Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells between 2004 and 2006 - by 55 per cent.

Chief Executive of NHS South East Coast Candy Morris said the targets for infection control were, in part, inspired by the successes of the Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust in recovering from the c.diff scandal.

She said: “Our expectation that there will be no hospital acquired MRSA cases in Kent by 2011 is ambitious.

“However, we do know that infection control and cleanliness are a top priority for our patients and the public and that is why we will continue our relentless focus on patient safety and quality of care.

“Looking at how Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust have prioritised infection prevention and control and driven down MRSA rates so that they are now the second best performing acute trust in the region gives the confidence that our ambitious goals can be achieved”

The trust will also seek to cut the number of cardiovascular and cancer deaths in under 75s an extra 10 per cent by 2011, and to close the gap between healthier communities in the region and those with lower levels of life expectancy, as well as exceeding national targets for better and safer care for all patients.

Ms Morris added: “We are determined to bring down death rates from heart disease and cancer, the region’s two biggest killers.

“The ambitious goals the NHS has set itself will deliver real improvements in services for patients and in the health of our local communities."

A full copy of the NHS South East Coast Operating Framework 2008/09 – 2010/11: Towards Healthier People and Excellent Care is available to view at www.southeastcoast.nhs.uk/operatingframework