London MRSA Figures "Shocking" - Hughes

1.15.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 14th Jul 2004

Hospital patient

Simon Hughes, MP, Liberal Democrat London Spokesman, responding to the National Audit Office report today on hospital acquired infections, said: "Today's NAO report makes clear that urgent action is needed to make our hospitals are safe from infection.

"The London figures are shocking and the trusts with the worst figures should be embarrassed into urgent and effective action.

"The best way to deal with hospital infections is for each ward and department to have somebody in charge of cleaning and cleanliness with the authority to make sure that only the highest standards are maintained. There should be severe disciplinary sanctions when staff don't comply.

"I am very proud to be the MP for a constituency which includes Guy's Hospital. But I have had to complain regularly over many years to Guy's and St Thomas' about the lack of hospital cleanliness and the resultant infections. This really must be the wake-up call for immediate and thorough change - at Guy's, St Thomas' and all other London hospitals.

"Hospitals are by definition full of ill people and no care or treatment can ever be risk free. In the 21st century and in one of the world's richest cities it is however unacceptable that we cannot keep avoidable risks of illness and death to an absolute minimum."