MRSA is resistant to antibiotics

If any of the legal cases are successful it could open the floodgates for more victims to come forward, at a huge cost to the health service.

Hospital-acquired infections like MRSA affect around 100,000 people in England each year, costing �1 billion and causing an estimated 5,000 deaths.

The Department of Health has launched a crackdown on superbugs.

Many victims of the MRSA infection, which is resistant to antibiotics, have already progressed with their cases in the hope of getting an apology from the hospital involved and compensation.

Preventing and reducing hospital infection rates is a key priority for the NHS Sir Liam Donaldson, chief medical officer

One of the reasons the bug spreads is because of bad hygiene by hospitals, such as staff not washing hands between patients and dirty wards.

Tony Field, of MRSA Support, said all of its 173 members had asked about the possibility of taking legal action.

Of these, around a dozen cases have already led to solicitors being involved and their negligence claims progressing further.

Apology

Mr Field, an MRSA victim from Birmingham, said in many cases these people just wanted recognition from the hospital that they were at fault and to receive an apology.

But he said there were also examples of financial loss suffered by victims and their families.

He said: "We have got a lady who lost her husband when he was 56, that's nine years to go to retirement.

"The pension she got was an absolute pittance from this and so at the age of 56 she had to go back to work to earn enough money to live."

He said the woman was taking legal action in a bid to get compensation.

MRSA is one of the most serious of the hospital acquired infections because it is resistant to all but the strongest antibiotics, such as vancomycin, which can only be delivered intravenously.

Children

Last month health experts warned that cases of MRSA in children were increasing and action needed to be taken to stop them rising further.

The government's chief medical officer Professor Sir Liam Donaldson said: "Preventing and reducing hospital infection rates and the main 'superbugs', including MRSA, is a key priority for the NHS.

"While these infections will never be entirely preventable, there is more that can be done - and is being done - to deal with this problem."

He said the government's action plan - Winning Ways - set out a range of measures to hospital associated infections.

This includes ensuring all hospital staff maintain high hygiene standards. All doctors and nurses should wash their hands with special alcohol rubs, Sir Liam said.