Once bitten, twice shy...

Allister Craddock
The Politics Show
East Midlands

NHS struggles to meet targets on superbugs

Moya Stevenson says she won't go into hospital for a bowel operation even though she has been told she needs surgery.

After contracting MRSA she is terrified of setting foot in hospital again.

Moya tells Robin Powell that local trusts and the Department of Health should be doing much more to combat infectious diseases including Clostridium difficile.

Moreover, the head of the Centre for Healthcare Associated Infections, Professor Richard James, agrees.

Conference planned

Next week his Nottingham-based unit will host a special conference of health professionals who are doing all they can to contain the problem.

He believes this week's survey from the Healthcare Commission does not give a true picture of the extent to which NHS trusts comply with hygiene regulations.

One in four trusts admitted they failed to meet requirements.

But Prof. James says the figures may be a lot worse.

The government has just introduced random testing of hospital procedures and he believes this will give a more accurate picture of what¿s really happening.

How much does overcrowding in hospitals contribute to the problem?

He joins us in the studio in the week that the Conservatives have announced that they would abolish government targets for reducing waiting list times.

Would this help reduce infections? Would lower bed occupancy make cleaners' jobs easier?

And bearing in mind that many people already have MRSA when they enter hospital, is it time all trusts were forced to test patients for MRSA on admission?

Also on the Politics Show:

Council housing

With more and more Labour politicians signing up to the need for affordable housing, our political editor, John Hess, reports on a campaign by one of our MPs to give local authorities back the power to build council houses.

David Taylor, Labour MP for North West Leicestershire, this week moved a Private Members Bill which calls on the government to restore to councils the rights abolished by the Tories.

He insists: "Our nation faces growing housing problems which can only be met by building new, and improving existing council housing."

But he faces an uphill battle: locally and nationally.

New money announced

Ruth Kelly paves the way for council housing

Communities Secretary, Ruth Kelly, has announced new money for extra homes to be built by housing corporations.

And in his own patch, the new Tory majority in North West Leicestershire wants to transfer its remaining council housing stock to a housing association.

John Hess visits the Greenhill estate in Coalville where the proposal is proving highly controversial.

What do you think? Should council housing make a come back? How else are we going to provide the homes we need?

And finally:

It is time to hear their verdict.

Rutland teenagers have been deciding how to spend £100,000 of the county council's youth services budget.

The young jurors will be explaining where they think the money should go after a special web poll set up by the authority.

Join Jon Sopel at 12 noon on Sunday, and at 12.30, we will have our special East Midlands reports with Priya Kaur-Jones

Let us know what you think

Ring us with your views on 0500 900 900 or email on the form below

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