The hospital hit rock bottom in July 2006 when it recorded the highest rate of the Clostridium Difficile bug among patients over 65 in the country.

Now, after huge investment, a drive to improve standards and a lot of hard work, a hospital team is one of just six projects in the UK being considered for the Nursing Times Awards 2009 in the infection control category.

It is the hospital's infection predictor system which is achieving the plaudits among health professionals.

Infection control lead nurse Pam Howe, who entered the trust for the award, said: "We were absolutely thrilled that our project has been shortlisted for this prestigious award which looks at some of the best and most innovative infection control projects being pioneered across the UK.

"The Kettering Infection Predictor system is a method we use to assess patients, on admission and during their stay, for their potential risk of developing an infection such as MRSA or C difficile.

"The system means staff are prompted to ensure that infection control precautions are implemented for patients who, because of things like their age and personal medical history, have a greater potential risk of infection."

Representatives from the hospital's infection control team will be attending the final of the awards on November 18 at the Hilton Hotel, London.

The KIP 'tool' was piloted at the trust in 2007 and is now being used in 20 of its wards.

The hospital now has C difficile and MRSA rates which are lower than the national average for a trust of its size.

Practice development and surveillance nurse Katrina Rufeea, who has co-ordinated the implementation of the project said: "Our pilot studies show that infections on the wards were reduced by about 15 per cent when the KIP system was in use.

"We think it has been so successful because it provides a pathway for all ward staff to follow to ensure that every possible precaution is taken to prevent infections."