The campaign run by Starfish Creative Design has been at the heart of the push by Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust to hit back at the potentially lethal bugs, and the number of MRSA infections recorded in the last three years has plunged by almost 60 per cent.

The firm is now in the running for the public sector award for its Stop the Bugs! campaign in the annual PRide awards, run by the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR).

The Portsmouth-based firm was selected by the trust to produce an educational and innovative campaign to raise public awareness and understanding of the prevention of hospital infection.

An extensive poster campaign was launched in May to give clear messages about the washing and cleaning of hands within hospital sites and also promote the issue of hospital infection by using buses, bus shelters and billboards throughout the PO region. There were also school roadshows, a website and a targeted PR campaign.

Maggie MacIsaac, director of strategy and partnerships at Starfish, said: 'The campaign has received tremendously positive feedback, so we are explor-ing ways of expanding it.

'The trust is continuing to work with the media to promote this issue and carrying out a series of visits to local infant and primary schools to show children how to wash their hands thoroughly and experience the feeling of using our Hygiene Hand Rub.'

Starfish was one of 24 PR companies selected to go forward and represent the Wessex region at the national level. There were more than 1,500 entries for the awards.

Mike Kean, chairman of the Wessex CIPR committee, said: 'The awards are an ongoing reminder of the high quality PR work being carried out across Hampshire, Dorset and the Isle of Wight in all kinds of companies and diverse markets.

'This year I was really pleased to see more smaller, newer companies repre-sented as well as the better known brands. It's great to show off your top talent and share best practice as this helps the CIPR to raise industry standards.'

The 24 regional entrants will attend the Wessex PRide dinner and awards ceremony at the Botleigh Grange Hotel in Botley on November 12. See the campaign's website at www.stopthebugs.co.uk