Hospital MRSA 'champions' scheme

MRSA strains can be resistant to many antibiotics

Hospitals in Wales may get specially appointed "champions" in charge of cleanliness and tackling cases of MRSA.

The clean hospital watchdogs would coordinate action to prevent superbugs.

Welsh Assembly Members are due to debate the motion tabled by Labour AM Val Lloyd with the backing of the assembly government on Tuesday.

Across the UK, the number of MRSA deaths doubled between 1999 and 2003, although there was a significant drop in infections during 2004.

'Leading the way'

Under the plans in Wales, a senior hospital director would be appointed and given responsibility for ward cleanliness and be charged with improving hygiene.

The doctor would also have to make a quarterly report to the Community Health Council that serves each health trust in Wales.

Currently in the NHS in England, directors of infection prevention and control head up infection control teams charged with improving cleanliness.

Hand washing plays a crucial role in the fight against infection

Swansea East Labour AM Ms Lloyd said: "Welsh hospitals are already leading the way in the fight for cleanliness and battling superbugs, with our infection rates well below those of England and Scotland.

"But we are always looking at ways of making our hospitals even safer and more comfortable places for our patients.

"That is why we think it is a good idea to establish advocates both to increase patient power and also to co-ordinate action against infection."

'Cleaner places'

Welsh Health Minister Brian Gibbons added: "The Welsh Assembly Government takes public concern about hospital cleanliness extremely seriously.

"The appointment of these new watchdogs will bring together the important aspects of fighting infection.

"That is the actual business of making our hospitals cleaner places, providing the public with a local clean hospitals champion and providing them with all the information they need about their hospital's record in fighting infection."

MRSA stands for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, but is shorthand for any strain of Staphylococcus bacteria which is resistant to one or more conventional antibiotics.

Experts have so far uncovered 17 strains of MRSA, with differing degrees of immunity to the effects of antibiotics.