§ Mr. Robin CookTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what monitoring the national health service management executive undertakes of the state of hospital cleanliness.
§ Mr. DorrellAs I explained in my reply to the hon. Member for Bradford, South (Mr. Cryer) at column151, specifying the required standards of hospital cleanliness and ensuring they are maintained is the responsibility of local management.
The national health service management executive would, however, intervene if there were any indication that appropriate standards were not being applied.
§ Mr. Robin CookTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the training available to national health service staff on the prevention of hospital acquired infections.
§ Mr. DorrellIt is the responsibility of the relevant professional bodies, the Royal College of Pathologists and the English National Board for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting to assess the adequacy of training for specialist staff in hospital acquired infection. These staff are in turn expected to provide the necessary training for non-specialist colleagues and it is the responsibility of local management to see that this happens.
§ Mr. Robin CookTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what information his Department has on hospital readmissions resulting from hospital acquired infections.
§ Mr. DorrellThis information is not held centrally.