More people are said to be passing through Western Isles Hospital

The report reveals that figures for the first three months of this year nearly matched those for the whole of 2005.

Isles MSP Alasdair Morrison, who was given the internal document, described the statistics as "staggering".

Western Isles Health Board said the rise had to be taken in context with the larger numbers of people passing through the hospital in Stornoway.

The report said MRSA was associated with one death in the hospital.

Mr Morrison said the public deserved an explanation of why cases of the so-called "superbug" had increased.

He said: "In the first quarter of the year, the number of new hospital acquired cases in 2006 is approaching the level of the full year's totals for each of the previous three years.

'Significant increase'

Mr Morrison said: "The great upsurge in the number of cases of MRSA has put great financial burden on the health board and again these things have to be explained."

Health board spokesman Dr John Smith said there was a link between the rise and growing numbers of people attending the hospital.

He said: "We do acknowledge there is a significant increase in the number of people colonised with MRSA, but that has to be put in context of the large number of people who are passing through the hospital and the increase in MRSA in the community and nationally."

Two Western Isles councillors have written to board chairman David Currie challenging him to say whether he is investigating any deaths or serious illness due to MRSA.

Patient services

Councillors Angus Graham and Angus McCormack have also written to Health Minister Andy Kerr.

They claim patient services have been clearly affected by the health board's problems.

Mr Graham said the minister must take "radical action" to put in place a management team that will restore confidence in the isles' health services.

MRSA is a bacterium found on the skin and is resistant to most antibiotics.