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Johnson promises 'zero tolerance' on hospital bugs
Hospital-acquired infections will be tackled with a 'zero tolerance' approach, health secretary Alan Johnson has promised.
'Too many patients feel insecure in hospital because of their fear of infection,' Mr Johnson told the Labour Party Conference in Bournemouth. 'Hospital-acquired infections are a global problem. We're making real progress against MRSA but the war against another infection, C-difficile, must be intensified.'
The government's plans to improve hospital hygiene include an annual 'deep clean' and more powers for matrons and nurses. There are also proposals for a hospital watchdog, which will have the ability to 'close, clean and then re-open wards if necessary' to stop the spread of infections.
Mr Johnson's remarks came as part of an outline for what he called a 'personal health service'. However, Liberal Democrat health spokesperson Norman Lamb MP, quoted on politics.co.uk, said: 'The health secretary has not explained how more personalised care will be delivered or what the role of the private sector will be in delivering it.
'As the extra NHS spending comes to an end this year, we mustn't forget that Gordon Brown is the man who spent billions more on the health service only to see stinging deficits and worsened productivity,' he added.
Category: Healthcare
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