HC Deb 29 October 2002 vol 391 cc678-9
10. Dr. Vincent Cable (Twickenham)

If he will make a statement on the adequacy of infection control procedures in the NHS. [75359]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health (Ms Hazel Blears)

The Government take infection control in our hospitals very seriously. We have set standards to ensure that there is a managed environment that minimises the risk of infection to patients, staff and visitors. Recent analysis of hospitals' performance in that respect shows that there has been an improvement over the past two years, but more needs to be done and actions are being taken nationally, regionally and locally.

Dr. Cable

I hope that the Minister can explain an apparent contradiction in policy. When the Government are challenged about rising infection rates, especially the fiftyfold increase in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus over the past 10 years, they point to the clean hospitals programme. That is a key part of the response. Last week, however, a departmental spokesman denied that there was any scientific link between hygiene and MRSA. Which line is correct?

Ms Blears

Research has shown that there is no direct correlation between cleanliness and MRSA. That is contrary to what many people would expect, but it is clear that there are links between good infection control and hygiene. A key part of the action that we are taking is to encourage simple, practical measures. They include disinfecting beds properly between patients, promoting more hand washing in hospitals and making sure that people use the alcohol gel where there are MRSA infections.

The hon. Member for Twickenham (Dr. Cable) knows that MRSA is not a uniquely British problem; it is common throughout Europe and the world. The systems in this country are among the best in the world when it comes to collecting the data and taking practical action to reduce the incidence of MRSA in our hospitals. We have instituted the clean hospitals scheme at a cost of £62 million, and a £200 million scheme to improve the decontamination of instruments and equipment. They are helping reduce the incidence of these very serious infections.

Dr. Nick Palmer (Broxtowe)

Will my hon. Friend the Minister welcome the state-of-the-art marrow transplant unit to be established at Nottingham's City hospital? The unit will have a very high level of protection against infection. Does she agree that only sustained investment in the NHS over a period of years will resolve the problem, not a sustained investment in rhetoric?

Ms Blears

My hon. Friend is right. Throughout the world, the incidence of infection will increase as more complex procedures are introduced and more vulnerable patients treated. As we get more successful at treating more vulnerable people, we must be extremely careful when it comes to monitoring infection rates. I am delighted to welcome the establishment of the unit in my hon. Friend's constituency, which, as he noted, will be state of the art. However, this is a long-term problem. It requires long-term solutions and a commitment to long-term investment. We are determined to make sure that that investment happens.

Michael Fabricant (Lichfield)

I am delighted that the Minister has spoken about the need for hygiene and for hand washing, although she is doing no more than echo what Florence Nightingale said 160 years ago. However, she is wrong to say that the problem faces hospitals in countries around the world. Is she aware that the European anti-microbial survey found that people were more likely to catch MRSA and associated diseases in British hospitals than in those of any other European country?

Ms Blears

The hon. Gentleman knows that this is a worldwide problem. The authorities in America are very worried about it, and recent estimates are that as many as 50,000 or 60,000 people there could die from MRSA infections. I am sure that he is aware that other European countries face problems similar to ours. However, we now have a mandatory system for recording the relevant data. That has not existed before. We want to get to the truth of the matter so that we can take appropriate action and do not have to work in the dark. For the first time, we have proper data and are taking action nationally, regionally, locally and at the level of health trusts. Some of the actions involved, such as promoting hand washing and better infection control and disinfection, are very simple, but we also want to spread good practice across the health service, in community settings as well as in hospitals. Unfortunately, MRSA is probably with us to stay, but good control can help to reduce the incidence of infection by between 15 and 30 per cent., and thereby make people's time in hospital a lot safer.