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Brown pledges hospital bug battle Brown pledges hospital bug battle
(about 3 hours later)
Hospitals across Britain will be ordered to conduct a "deep clean" to tackle the spread of infections such as MRSA, Gordon Brown has announced.Hospitals across Britain will be ordered to conduct a "deep clean" to tackle the spread of infections such as MRSA, Gordon Brown has announced.
The prime minister, writing in two Sunday newspapers, intends the major cleaning operation to be a pre-emptive move to stop the deadly bugs spreading. The prime minister wants the cleaning to be a pre-emptive move rather than a reaction to outbreaks of infection.
Some NHS trusts have already adopted these new cleaning systems and Mr Brown is keen others follow that example.Some NHS trusts have already adopted these new cleaning systems and Mr Brown is keen others follow that example.
Critics are sceptical of how effective the move may be and cite other causes. Critics question how effective such moves are, saying staff, patients and visitors carry infections such as MRSA.
Members of the healthcare community who contest the "deep clean" action say infections such as MRSA are carried by staff, patients and visitors. Members of the healthcare community who contest the "deep clean" action believe the high volume of bed turnover in wards is a more serious issue.
Cancer screeningCancer screening
They believe the high volume of bed turnover in wards is a more serious issue.
The announcement of the ward-by-ward clean marked Mr Brown's first initiative since arriving at the Labour Party conference on Saturday.The announcement of the ward-by-ward clean marked Mr Brown's first initiative since arriving at the Labour Party conference on Saturday.
He promised that over the next 12 months all hospitals would be restored to a pristine state of cleanliness to rid them of MRSA and C-difficile. He promised that over the next 12 months all hospitals would be restored to a pristine state of cleanliness to rid them of infections such as MRSA and C-difficile.
In the course of an article for the News of the World and an interview with The Sunday Times, Mr Brown also announced an extension of screening and early treatment for cancer.In the course of an article for the News of the World and an interview with The Sunday Times, Mr Brown also announced an extension of screening and early treatment for cancer.
We've had years of ineffective tinkering and complacency around the problem of tackling superbugs like MRSA and C Difficile Norman LambLib Dem health spokesman
Roy Lilley, a former NHS trust chairman, and the author of a book on healthcare management, told the BBC he thought the "deep cleaning" idea was "irritatingly populist".
He said: "This will get a huge round of applause from the Labour Party conference floor and everyone will say 'yes, he's the man that's cleaning up the hospitals'.
"The experts I talk to... all say 'Nice idea', but at the end of the day, the infection control systems are about handwashing; it's about clinical discipline and it's about screening people before they come in.
"You can clean a hospital on Monday and on Wednesday, you'll be back where you started."
'Grand gestures''Grand gestures'
Officials said that it would be up to individual NHS trusts to decide how the cleaning programme was implemented, but it could mean wards closing for a week at a time to be cleansed.Officials said that it would be up to individual NHS trusts to decide how the cleaning programme was implemented, but it could mean wards closing for a week at a time to be cleansed.
Liberal Democrat shadow health secretary Norman Lamb said: "It makes perfect sense to clean all areas in hospitals where infections may linger, but why hasn't this been done before? Liberal Democrat health spokesman Norman Lamb said: "It makes perfect sense to clean all areas in hospitals where infections may linger, but why hasn't this been done before?
"We've had years of ineffective tinkering and complacency around the problem of tackling superbugs like MRSA and C Difficile.""We've had years of ineffective tinkering and complacency around the problem of tackling superbugs like MRSA and C Difficile."
He said a "serious change of culture within hospitals and care homes" would have a more long lasting impact than "grand gestures".He said a "serious change of culture within hospitals and care homes" would have a more long lasting impact than "grand gestures".