BLACKPOOL Victoria is to join hospitals across the country who must now monitor the levels of "hospital acquired" infections.

Following recent reports of high hospital infection rates, Health Minister John Denham has announced this week that the levels are "unacceptable" and must be addressed.

The Vic came out as one of the worst in the country in the report, leaked from the Department of Health, which had not been published due to its "unreliability".

Mr Denham said: "Patients have a right to know the rate of hospital-acquired infection. And they also have the right to an assurance that their local hospital is doing its best to protect them from the risk."

"Current levels are unacceptable and we will be issuing guidance to the NHS and giving practical advice on preventing the spread of infection."

The Blackpool Victoria NHS Trust welcome the new guidelines and added: "The Trust is already ahead of the game and has been actively involved in a pilot project for NIMS (National Nosocomial Infection Surveillance Scheme) since its inception in 1997. "By monitoring our rates of infection it allows us to highlight areas of good practice and ensures we continue to put our resources into these schemes. It also allows us to pick up any potential areas and put methods in place to control them." Current monitoring will be developed to cover:

Infections of wounds following orthopaedic surgery.

Bacterial blood-stream infections.

Infections acquired in hospital that became apparent after the patient has been discharged.

Mr Denham also stressed the vital importance of effective decontamination and sterilisation of equipment in ensuring infection control.

The Citizen spoke to Dr Ruth Duthie, consultant virologist and infection control doctor, last month after the the Vic was rocked by the leaked report. She said at the time: "This report data is meaningless and I believe this hospital has actually improved its infection level on the maternity ward thanks to national policy.

"Our infection team is the flagship of the hospital and if we were a private hospital I think we would have had grounds to sue."