MRSA fight being hampered by Government targets

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Thu 10th Feb 2005

Responding to the report by Dr Mark Enright which suggests the UK's MRSA problem may be due to the emergence of new strains of the superbug, Liberal Democrat Shadow Health Secretary, Paul Burstow MP, said:

"This research shows the uphill battle we face against infections.  It is critical that Ministers make infection control a top priority.

"Patients' lives are being put at risk because of Government targets.  The pressure on managers to jump through government hoops means that patients are shunted from ward to ward or put into beds before they have been cleaned properly. These targets should be scrapped. They are doing more harm than good.

"There is a shortage of isolation facilities in the NHS.  Despite repeated questioning Ministers haven't got a clue how many isolation facilities there are, let alone what plans there are to add more.

"Simply promoting hand-washing is clearly not enough.  More screening, and isolation when necessary, should all be considered as weapons in the fight against the superbugs."