PRESS RELEASE

July 28th, 2010

Hospital cleaning fears

Greenock and Inverclyde MSP Duncan McNeil has expressed fears that hospital cuts to undermine efforts to drive down superbug numbers.

Mr McNeil welcomed new stats that show that cases of C Diff at Inverclyde Royal have fallen from 12 to just four this year.

But he fears cuts to cleaning hours may have an impact on supbug cases.

Duncan McNeil, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, said: "Every patient has the right to be treated in a clean hospital and I am pleased at the progress that has been made in driving down the number of hospital-acquired infections from the unacceptably high level we saw in recent years.

"The challenge now is to sustain that low level, something which is threatened by the cutbacks in hospital cleaning and nursing staff by the Scottish Government.

"Other health boards in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde area have been allowed to cut cleaning hours by as much as 500 hours and we cannot allow similar reductiion to happen at the Inverclyde Royal."