Hospital trust fails to meet 'deep clean' target on bugs

A hospital trust slammed for poor hygiene has failed to meet the Government's "deep clean" target.

Bromley is one of five London trusts to have missed today's deadline to clean wards in a bid to combat superbugs.

The others are the Homerton, Kingston, St Mary's Paddington and West Middlesex University Hospital in Hounslow. Bromley was recently given a hygiene improvement notice after inspectors found blood on bedrails and a thick layer of dust on key wards.

London is the worst performing region in the country. National figures published today revealed as many as 13 trusts had not done the work on time.

Campaigners said it exposed the "massive pressure" the NHS was under.

Geoff Martin, of London Health Emergency, said: "You can have all the armies of bureaucrats with their clipboards and targets you like - but if you haven't got ward staff and beds you'll still fail to tick the boxes."

But NHS London today defended the figures. Colin Ovington, London's superbug czar, said: "A tremendous amount of work has been done on the deep clean over the past few months."

Bromley NHS trust said it had been given an extension until 6 May because the deep clean was part of an overall refurbishment programme.