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Patients at risk from short-term fight against superbugs, say doctors
Anna Davis, Education Correspondent9 Jun 2009
Doctors attacked ministers today over their "short-term" approach to ridding hospitals of superbugs.
The British Medical Association said current tactics would not wipe out hospital-acquired infections such as MRSA and Clostridium difficile.
In a report published today, the BMA said reducing overcrowding and understaffing in hospitals should be the priority.
Instead, the Government has concentrated on "short-term" measures such as "deep cleans", banning doctors from wearing white coats and encouraging the use of alcohol hand gel.
Dr Jonathan Fielden, chairman of the BMA's Consultants' Committee, said: "It's not enough for politicians to announce new initiatives that are just sound bites."
Research shows the higher a hospital's bed occupancy levels, the higher its MRSA rates.
But the number of hospital beds in the UK has dropped by more than 25,000 in seven years, while the number of patients being admitted has increased.
Dr Fielden said more needed to be done to relieve this pressure with a long-term strategy.
