Health Care-acquired Infections

Part of Opposition Day — [3rd Allotted Day] – in the House of Commons at 4:46 pm on 23 January 2007.

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Photo of Norman Lamb Norman Lamb Shadow Secretary of State for Health, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Health) 4:46, 23 January 2007

It is. So many negative measures are driven by the financial crisis affecting much of the health service, particularly during this financial year. Before Christmas, the Select Committee on Health highlighted the fact that so-called soft targets are often affected, even though in the long term, those soft targets are often among the most vital parts of the operation.

Does the Minister agree with the Royal College of Nursing's proposal to introduce 24-hour cleaning teams, which could be rapidly deployed by nursing staff? It seems an eminently sensible proposal. We must surely ensure, too, that every front-line NHS staff member receives compulsory training. In an earlier intervention, my hon. Friend Mr. Heath made the point that basic standards of cleanliness are not what they used to be. That may well come down to inadequate provision of the training necessary to ensure that those high standards are maintained. Will the Government commit to providing that training? There should be a thorough review of isolation facilities, with a timetable for improvement. Will the Minister commit specifically to that, too?

This subject is incredibly important. It is clear from an accumulation of evidence—evidence confirmed by the infamous leaked memorandum—that the current strategy is not succeeding, that far more needs to be done, that efforts to minimise the number of tragic deaths that occur as a result of health care-acquired infection must be prioritised, and that must not be compromised by action taken because of other, politically driven targets.