Senior nurses will oversee hygiene standards

The charter is inspired by an instruction from the 19th century nurse Florence Nightingale.

Health Secretary John Reid said hygiene would be the top priority for England's incoming Chief Nursing Officer.

Hospital-acquired infections, such as MRSA, are estimated to kill around 5,000 people each year.

WHAT MATRONS SHOULD ASK THEMSELVES What could you do to make it easier for cleaning staff to do their job? Are the cleaning staff invited to team parties and nights out? Do you pick up odd pieces of litter? Do you have a rapid, reliable way of responding to patient comments? Before you buy new equipment, do you have a system in place to ensure it can be cleaned? Are infection control nurses involved in refurbishments and new building design? Do photos of cleaning staff appear alongside others at the entrance to wards?

The Matron's Charter gives senior nurses the power to withhold payment for cleaning services that fail to "come up to scratch".

It also sets out a series of questions they should consider about cleanliness standards in their wards.

The Florence Nightingale instruction said: "Let whoever is in charge keep this simple question in her head, not how can I always do this right thing myself, but how can I provide for this right thing to be always done?"

John Reid launched the charter as he named as the new Chris Beasley as the Chief Nursing Officer for England.

Ms Beasley, who began nursing 40 years ago, worked most recently as head of partnership development at the NHS Modernisation Agency.

She said of the Matron's Charter: "Matrons must lead by example and by making changes when things aren't up to scratch."

'Starting point'

John Reid said: "Everyone has a role to play - hospital cleaners are as important as consultants when it comes to these issues.

"Nurses, doctors and other staff are in the front line of this struggle, and I am determined hospital managers and my department give them the support they need."

We've had endless initiatives from the government Shadow Health Secretary Andrew Lansley

He added: "People have been dying, over decades, from hospital-acquired-infections, but at any time over those decades, one particular bug becomes predominate. It used to be E coli, it is now MRSA.

"This is why I'm making this the top priority for the new Chief Nursing Officer. This must be put under the control of nurses."

He said he would investigate whether more information about hospital-acquired infection rates could be published, and if data could be put out more regularly.

Beverly Malone, General Secretary of the Royal College of Nursing, said the charter was a good "starting point".

"Nurses will be involved in drawing up cleaning contracts and matrons will have the authority to withhold payment in the event of substandard work.

'Not up to the job'

The Conservatives launched their own action plan on Tuesday on how they would tackle the rise in hospital superbugs.

The party promised to abolish Whitehall targets which it says have meant wards have not been closed for cleaning, even if infection control teams have recommended the move.

The plan also proposes a Health Protection Agency infection control team, which could be sent to affected hospitals, and more training in infection control for all health professionals.

Shadow Health Secretary Andrew Langley said: "Four years ago the National Audit Office first highlighted the extent of the problems and risks associated with hospital acquired infections.

"Since then the urgency with which this issue should have been addressed has been sadly lacking and patients have suffered as a consequence.

"Even now we are hearing talk but no action from ministers."

But Paul Burstow, Liberal Democrat health spokesman told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "What we want to see, first and foremost is a proper system of monitoring and surveillance of hospital infections.

"This information can then be fed back to individual clinicians so they can adjust and learn from mistakes they're making within hospitals.

"The hospital-wide statistics that are being collected at the moment really aren't up to the job."