The sick one of Europe

We have become used to, and fear, the danger of hospital acquired infection from MRSA, the bacterium which has become very resistant to antibiotics.

Now experts of warning us of the even more dangerous "Clostridium difficile" (Cd). About 6,500 people die from the bug every year in our hospitals.

About 50,000 patients caught the bug in our hospitals last year, more than 10 times that of any other country. Among the over 65s the death rate is also 10 times that of any other country.

Why is our figure so bad?

Leading experts have told the Government that hygiene must be improved and that there must be isolation and rapid testing procedures to slow the spread of the infection.

The Libdems have discovered that more than half of all hospital trusts do not put infected patients in their own rooms and only one in five has dedicated isolation wards ready for outbreaks. Norman Baker, their Health spokesman, said, "The brutal truth is that if (the) advice had been followed many of thousands of lives could have been saved."

Medical staff have reported that there is overcrowding, with beds too close and allowing easier passage for infection. Patients are discharged much earlier, with new patients ready to fill their beds while they are still warm. There are even suggestions of sheets not having been changed. Bed occupancy rates are frequently above the standard of 85% which is thought by many to be the maximum safe level.

So why is all this happening? There is still a shortage of nurses, despite the high levels of spending. There is still a culture of targets which leads inevitably to the practices mentioned earlier. Part of the cause is undoubtedly the over-centralised top-down management of the service.