People have been concerned recently about standards of cleanliness in the NHS.  Excellent standards in cleanliness are what patients and staff want and should expect from the NHS.

I was therefore pleased when the Health Secretary Alan Johnson set out last week what money would be made available for deep cleaning and confirmed the date by which all NHS hospitals in England will have carried out a deep clean.

In Yorkshire and Humber £5million will be spent on deep cleaning over the next couple of years.  In a statement in the House of Commons, the Health Secretary told MPs that all Trusts will have to submit to detailed deep clean plans, including costs to their Primary Care Trusts and Strategic Health Authorities.

The deep clean programme was announced by the Prime Minister in October.  Deep cleaning is one element of a wider range of measures introduced by the Government, which all Trusts need to take to tackle healthcare associated infections and ensure patient safety.

Undertaking a deep clean is a key part of our strategy to improve cleanliness and ensure patients have confidence that their hospitals are safe.

People want an NHS that is clean and safe and the deep clean programme will help to reassure patients and build public confidence in the NHS.