Clash over MRSA and smoking

THE MAIN parties clashed today over hospital superbugs and smoking in public.

Shadow health secretary Andrew Lansley attacked the Government's record against MRSA at a health debate.

He told a group of doctors, nurses, managers and industry leaders that the Government had failed to act quickly enough against the killer bug.

He said targets prevented hospital managers closing wards for decontamination.

Health Minister John Hutton hit back saying they had followed the best scientific evidence and had deployed all technologies in the fight against the bug.

He said: "Rates of MRSA are coming down. It is a small fall but a turning of the corner."

Liberal Democrat health spokesman Paul Burstow said NHS capacity was being "hoovered up" by people staying in hospital because they had contracted an infection.

There had been "woefully slow progress" on providing isolation rooms for those with infections.

Michael Summers, chairman of the Patients Association said there needed to be greater training in infection control, decontamination of beds between patients, closure of infected wards and better information on MRSA rates for communities.

The politicians faced questions in an event hosted by the think tank the King's Fund in London. Health Secretary John Reid could not attend as he was standing in elsewhere for Tony Blair.

Sylvia Denton, president of the Royal College of Nursing, pressed the three for a ban on smoking in public places.

Mr Lansley said the Conservatives would encourage a voluntary approach to a ban backed up with legislation if that did not work while Mr Hutton refused to promise an outright ban.

Mr Burstow said his party would introduce a complete ban as "time is of the essence".

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