We already have the hygiene code and an action programme to tackle health care-associated infections, including MRSA. However, the issue remains a priority, and we recently announced an extra £50 million to support local initiatives for front-line staff.
I thank the Minister for her answer and I am pleased to hear that the issue is a priority. May I draw her and the House’s attention to the situation in our care homes, where cases of MRSA and clostridium difficile have doubled in recent years? Does the Department have any plans to tackle that growing problem or is it another case where, as with the report on nutritional standards in care homes, the needs of our elderly people in care homes are not being met?
The needs of elderly people in our care homes are a high priority, and they always will be to me. We have doubled our teams to help in acute trusts. We need to look at the same co-operation with social services for care homes because the incidence of MRSA in them is far too high. We have a lot to do on training and skills to see how we can correct that.