BAILLIE DEMANDS GUARANTEE ON HOSPITAL CLEANING

Scottish Labour’s Jackie Baillie said today that progress in tackling Hospital Acquired Infections (HAIs) will be put at risk by SNP cuts to nurses and cleaning staff.

Ms Baillie made comments as the Scottish government revealed new figures on HAI’s including MRSA and C Diff.

The SNP intend to cut 4000 NHS jobs including 1500 nurses and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde is cutting the equivalent of 500 cleaning hours at Glasgow Royal Infirmary, and similar reductions are planned at other hospitals across the city.

Shadow Health Secretary Jackie Baillie said:

"It is totally unacceptable that progress against infections like C. Difficile are now being put at risk by cutbacks in hospital cleaning and nursing staff.

"There is no doubt that when NHS boards cuts cleaning on the front line then infection rates go up and patients get ill. We know that More Nats Mean Fewer Nurses but the battle against hospital bugs is being put at risk by these swingeing SNP cuts."

7 July 2010