John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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Question 118: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the steps she has taken to improve the hygiene and overall cleanliness in hospitals; her views on whether the lack of hygiene has contributed to the spread of MRSA; if she has targets for the reduction of MRSA in hospitals in the next two years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18522/05]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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Improving the standards of cleanliness in hospitals is a priority. One of the specific actions identified in the ten point plan to improve the delivery of accident and emergency services refers to the need to address this particular issue. Effective infection control measures, including environmental cleanliness and hand hygiene, are central to the control of hospital acquired infections, or HAIs, including drug-resistant organisms such as MRSA.

Policy in this area is set out in the strategy for antimicrobial resistance in Ireland, SARI. A SARI infection control sub-committee is revising national guidelines for the control and prevention of MRSA in hospitals and in the community. The guidelines cover a number of areas including physical cleanliness of the environment, hand hygiene, antibiotic stewardship programmes and availability of isolation facilities as well as screening and detection protocols. These guidelines are presently being considered by the Health Service Executive, HSE.

My Department has recently requested the director of the national hospitals office to ensure that effective infection control measures, including environmental cleanliness and hand hygiene, are in place in all hospitals. In addition, the chief medical officer of the Department is undertaking a comprehensive review of current policies and activities in this area.

The Deputy will be aware that operational issues in relation to the services provided by acute hospitals now rests with the HSE. The prevention and control of HAIs is a priority issue for the HSE. My Department understands that the director of the national hospitals office intends to carry out an external hygiene audit of hospitals this summer. The results of the audit are expected to inform the national standards for infection control and cleaning. The setting of specific targets for the reductions of HAIs will be considered by the HSE following this process.