MP QUESTIONS SECRETARY OF STATE'S COSTS CLAIM ON HOSPITALS DEEP CLEAN

4.07.47pm BST (GMT +0100) Mon 7th Apr 2008

Lorely Burt MP has written to the Secretary of State for Health, Alan Johnson MP, asking him to justify claims that the cost of deep cleaning programmes to help tackle infections in local hospitals has been covered by extra government money.

The Solihull MP questioned Alan Johnson during Health Questions in the House of Commons after she learned that the programme for Solihull, Heartlands and Good Hope hospitals will be up to £700,000, which would be lost to front line services.

Mrs Burt queried the claim that adequate money had been made available through Strategic Health Authorities, saying:

"The West Midlands Strategic Health Authority received an additional £5million for infection control, but this was not ring fenced for deep cleaning. £335,000 was allocated to Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust, which has already been spent on enhanced cleaning in as part of an ongoing programme of infection control.

"The cost of deep cleaning operations will be double this amount and I understand that in our hospitals, the extra money required will have to be found from existing budgets.

"There is considerable doubt that a one off deep clean will have much impact on infection rates in the long term.

"I am concerned that this is just another headline grabbing initiative by ministers that local hospitals will end up paying for."