Hospitals’ superbug policies slammed

A DAMNING report has found Barking and Dagenham's hospital trust is failing to properly protect patients from superbugs.

The risk of catching infections like MRSA and clostridium difficile on the wards of King George Hospital, Goodmayes, and Queen's Hosital, Romford, has forced the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to ask the trust to make sure infected patients are moved to isolation units more quickly.

Barking, Havering and Redbridge Hospitals NHS Trust (BHR) is one of 21 health bodies out of nearly 400 to be singled out for not fully protecting patients from superbugs.

But BHR, which will be putting an isolation policy in place, insists its record in tackling superbugs is one of the best in the country.

A trust spokesman said: "The conditions from the CQC relate to having policies and documentation in place.

"The rates of MRSA and clostridium difficile at our hospitals have been slashed by more than 70 per cent in recent years, putting us well within government targets.

"Last year we were named as the best organisation of its size for tackling C diff, and the work carried out by our infection control team has been hailed as an example of best practice."

The CQC studied each trust's performance through patient and staff surveys, findings from the Healthcare Commission's hygiene inspections and rates of infection.

Barbara Young, chairman of the CQC, said: "We have placed rigorous conditions on these trusts' registration and will monitor them closely.

"While infection rates at these trusts are not necessarily higher, they can do more to strengthen their approaches to infection control and help prevent outbreaks.

"We will monitor their performance throughout the year and will not hesitate to use our enforcement powers to protect patients' safety where needed.