Local Hospitals Forced to Choose Money over Patient Health

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Thu 26th Jul 2007

Sandra Gidley MP

Hospitals are being forced to balance the books rather than keep the wards clean according to Romsey MP Sandra Gidley. Commenting on the recently released figures on Healthcare associated infection Sandra said:

"In Southampton University Hospitals there were 23 additional cases of Clostridium Difficile between January and March 2007, compared to the period between October and December 2006. This was after some impressive reductions in cases of Clostridium Difficile between April and December of 2006."

"Likewise, in Winchester and Eastleigh, steady progress was being made to reduce the amount of cases of Clostridium Difficile. However between January and March 2007 there were 60 cases of Clostridium Difficile, compared to only 41 cases between October and December 2006."

"It would appear that the good progress in 2006 has slowed down in the last three months of the financial year, leading to worries that hospitals are making cut backs in hygiene in order to balance the books."

"Indeed the report published by the Healthcare Commission identified that 36 percent of trusts had experienced 'difficulties' reconciling their hygiene and cleanliness with their strict financial targets."

"The national picture is similar, as there were 15,592 cases of Clostridium Difficile between January and March 2007, compared to 12,797 between October and December 2006."

"As such I have written to the respective Chief Executives of Southampton University Hospitals, and the Royal Hampshire County Hospital to try and find out why the good work of 2006 was not continued in the first three months of 2007?"