Warning over missed 'deep clean' targets

The strategy was promised by Gordon Brown at last year's Labour Party Conference in a bid to boost public confidence in the NHS.

But Geoff Martin, head of campaigns at pressure group Health Emergency, warned that hospitals have struggled to meet the target because wards have been too busy.
 
Mr Martin said: 'We understand that many hospitals, because of the sheer pressure on beds, have been unable to decant patient areas and deep clean them properly. Instead they have had a bit of a spring clean around the beds and that is not what we were promised.'

Dave Prentis, Unison general secretary Dave Prentis challenged the government to provide better in-house cleaning teams to ensure standards are maintained.

He said: 'We call upon the government to continue with the deep clean programme and to employ more in-house cleaners to maintain the standards set by the deep clean process.'