Hospital-Acquired Infection

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 4:16 pm on 8 September 2004.

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Photo of John Reid John Reid Secretary of State, Department of Health, The Secretary of State for Health 4:16, 8 September 2004

I did not say that such surveillance was irrelevant; I said that it was not as reliable. The hon. Gentleman is right to say that we are extending the surveillance beyond the bloodstream tests, but my point was merely that when we started the surveillance, we chose a limited application because the data gathered in that way were more reliable. I do not need to point out to him that no data were collected over the entire 18 years of the previous Conservative Government. We have responded to the problem, but we have done so first in those areas where the data are more reliable so that we could get a picture as soon as possible. We are now about to extend the surveillance.

I am intervening in the hon. Gentleman's speech because no party political points are involved. I am not trying to score points, and I know that he is not trying to do so either. My aim is merely to explain the scientific basis of the advice on which I am operating.