20th September 2006

Guidelines about nurses not using uniforms outside hospitals are a sensible measure to reduce 'hospital superbugs' (6/08/06). However the poor provision of facilities to enable this and the seeming failure to look at other staff and visitors role is clearly not right.

Scrupulous hand-washing is crucial by all, but the Green Party considers the problem to be more fundamental.  MRSA's resistance to antibiotics has been accelerated by a number of factors including a 'big is beautiful' mentality in NHS management - which is also threatening our local Maternity Hospital and elderly mentally ill provision at Weavers Croft in Stroud. The wider picture also includes hospitals contracting out cleaning to the lowest bidder, unnecessary prescriptions and routine antibiotic use in animal feed as growth promoters.

Indeed more than 70 per cent of all antibiotics are used in agriculture: particularly battery chickens, pig-rearing and fish farming. This may mean cheap food but it is less effective health care in the long run. The use of antibiotics in genetic engineering presents further serious risks. Sweden and Denmark have both taken action to avoid antibiotic use in farming. We should follow their lead.

Lastly research into 'superbugs' in Poland of 1037 patients has found that the use of 'phages' (viruses) has led to a staggering 85% full recovery and only 50 cases being unsuccessful. Microbiologist Nicholas Mann, at the University of Warwick, claims the failure to research this further in the UK is due to 'money and regulation'. No one wants to invest in an idea that cannot be exploited through intellectual property rights. This is unacceptable, the government must step in and support research into this promising treatment.

Cllr Martin Whiteside
Hillside, Claypits Lane, Thrupp, Stroud
Stroud District Green Party Parliamentary Spokesperson