Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)

I am sorry to hear of the circumstances experienced by the Deputy's mother-in-law. I recall, as a young girl, hearing people talking about the "hospital bug". In more recent years we have been able to put names on some of these infections. The reality is that the infrastructure of the health system is still catching up. For example, we have a long way to go in terms of the number of single rooms in hospitals. The hospital of the future will consist entirely of single rooms, as is the case, for instance, with the new national paediatric hospital and the new build at St. Vincent's Hospital. That is the future. Such an arrangement will minimise the capacity for infections to spread in a hospital environment. People who are ill, particularly if they are frail and elderly, are more vulnerable to infections.

The most significant single action we can take to address this problem is to reduce greatly the incidence of antibiotic prescribing. The countries that have the best record in controlling hospital acquired infections, such as Holland, are those where the level of antibiotic subscribing is substantially lower than in Ireland. That is why a targeted reduction in the incidence of infection of even 30%, which may not sound substantial, will in itself be a challenge to meet because it requires the education of both general practitioners and patients. Many patients feel they have been betrayed or let down by their GP if they do not receive a prescription for antibiotics. I have had this discussion with friends, many of whom are well informed. Of the 14 Members present in the Chamber, three or four are likely to be MRSA carriers.

In addition to a reduction in antibiotic prescribing and the need for a significant education campaign, there will be recruitment of specialised pharmacists, microbiologists and other experts to work at hospital level, where infection is a particular problem. Until two or three years ago, no hand-washing campaign was in place. It remains a major challenge to ensure health professionals adhere to good hand-washing practices. This is not just the case in Ireland but also in many other jurisdictions. Appropriate hand-washing using alcohol gels by health professionals and patients' visitors has a significant role to play in helping to prevent the spread of infection in the hospital environment.

Last year, I asked the HSE to ensure all private beds in public hospitals which heretofore were ring-fenced for private patients were made available for patients requiring isolation. That is being done. It is one aspect of the provision of the required infrastructure within the health system. However, I accept that we have a long way to go in this area.

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