Clostridium difficile infection rates rose markedly in the UK during the first half of this decade, peaking at almost 60,000 reported cases in 2007.1 Epidemiological changes in C. difficile infection, and well-publicised hospital outbreaks, have prompted various guidance documents, underpinned by a national target of a 30% reduction in cases by 2010/11 compared with 2007/08. With the resulting major changes …