Five Mersey hospitals fail to start deep clean against MRSA

Jan 9 2008 Liverpool Daily Post

FIVE hospital trusts in the region are yet to start a “deep clean” to stamp out deadly superbugs, with a deadline just weeks away.

In September, Gordon Brown ordered all hospitals to bleach and steam clean ceilings, walls, radiators, equipment, lifts and furnishings in a new drive against MRSA and Clostridium difficile.

The process, which must be completed by the end of March, can take several months, because it involves moving patients to different bays, or even closing entire wards.

But Liverpool Women’s Hospital, The Cardiothoracic Centre and the Countess of Chester Hospital have told regional health chiefs that their deep clean is “pending”.

A further two trusts, the Clatterbridge Centre for Oncology in Wirral and Southport and Ormskirk Hospitals, asked if their clean-up had started, simply replied “No”.

The information was released to the Daily Post by NHS North West, after concern was raised at Westminster that the deep clean deadline would be missed.

On Monday, Health Secretary Alan Johnson said fewer than one-third of England’s 173 hospital trusts had started the work.

Furthermore, two other Merseyside and North Cheshire trusts have admitted their deep cleans – although under way – will stretch into April, missing the prime minister’s deadline.

The Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospital trust, which is spending £639,000, only started on Monday and will complete work “by the end of the first week of April”.

Similarly, North Cheshire Hospitals trust said it would finish “by the second week of April” after starting work in early December and spending £656,000.

Both St Helens and Knowsley hospitals trust and Wirral Hospital have insisted they will complete deep cleaning by the end of March.

Ironically, many health experts have condemned the initiative as a gimmick, insisting it is staff, patients and visitors who carry superbugs.

Meanwhile, Mr Johnson yesterday urged patients to rebuke “too posh to wash” doctors who risk spreading infection.

The Health Secretary’s comments came as he announced a £45m package for hospitals to employ extra specialist staff to improve cleanliness on their wards.

Worth an average £260,000 for each NHS trust, it will pay for two infection control nurses, two nurses to isolate infected patients and one antimicrobial pharmacist, to improve prescribing.