Labour says Nurses say Tory policy on MRSA won't work

Main Category: MRSA / Drug Resistance
Article Date: 11 Apr 2005 - 0:00 PDT

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Latest figures show with Labour, MRSA infection rates have fallen to their lowest level since mandatory reporting.

John Reid MP, Labour's Health Secretary, responding to Michael Howard's visit to St George's today and his comments on MRSA said:

"Latest figures show MRSA rates have halved since 2001 in the NHS hospital Michael Howard visited today, thanks to the hard work of NHS staff supported by increased investment from the Labour government"

"The Tories did not and can not tackle MRSA.

"The Tories failed to tackle MRSA while in office. The Tories only idea for tackling MRSA, allowing nurses to shut wards, has been slammed by nurses themselves. You cannot tackle the superbug with a soundbite.

"As Geraldine Cunningham the Director of Clinical Leadership at the Royal College of Nursing, says of their plans: 'It's much more complex than just closing a ward, actually there're always patients in wards if you moved them you'd spread infection'.

John Reid added:

"Our continual fight against MRSA is now bearing results. Labour has brought back Matron and put her in charge through the Matrons Charter which was developed with infection control nurses association. We introduced the first mandatory reporting system for MRSA so it couldn't be swept under the carpet as it was in the Tory years.

"But we face a difficult challenge because between 1993 and 1997 the percentage of MRSA increased from 5 per cent to 30 per cent over four years before settling at just over 40 per cent. The biggest growth of MRSA took place under the Tories, unlike other European countries we didn't nip it in the bud then, and so face a tougher challenge now.

"In the 1990s cleaning services were squeezed as the Tories introduced compulsory competitive tendering reducing the money available to keep our hospitals clean. Now Labour has ended cut price two tier cleaning contracts.

"Latest figures show MRSA infection rates have fallen to their lowest level since mandatory reporting began. We have stopped the rise and started to see a fall but there is a long way to go."

"And let us be clear about the reason the Conservative Party choose to exploit the MRSA issue.

"It is because they want to run down the NHS' reputation by highlighting every shortcoming, diminishing every achievement, branding staff as 'Bureaucrats' and smearing any success as 'fiddling'.

"Because they want to run down the NHS in reality, by cuts in finance - diverting at least £1.2billion per annum to subsidise a wealthy few to jump the queue and to introduce charges for operations, for the first time in the history of the NHS.

"It's just part of the hidden Tory plan for a return to boom and bust economics with cuts to vital public services."

The Labour Party

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