An ex-GP who contracted the MRSA "superbug" after surgery at a Somerset hospital, has blamed poor hygiene in the hospital.

Dr Sandy Johnson, 74, caught the bug after knee surgery at the Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton last year.

He has severely criticised standards of hygiene and cleanliness.

The NHS Trust that runs the hospital says it has "taken significant steps to address this issue", but would not say what they were.

Dr Jordan was a GP at Minehead for 40 years

Dr Jordan told the BBC: "Health staff need to go back to basics.

"Some staff failed to wash hands or even change gloves between treating infected patients.

"Medicines were dropped on the floor and some equipment was not sterilised or even cleaned."

He fell ill twice after leaving hospital.

Taunton and Somerset NHS Trust said: "We are aware of Doctor Jordan's continuing concerns.

Appropriate measures

"MRSA poses a serious problem in both hospital settings and the wider community, and no hospital in the UK can afford to be complacent.

"The hospital has taken significant steps to address this issue, and is satisfied that appropriate measures are being taken."

MRSA is a common bacterium that many people carry naturally on their bodies without any harm.

If it infects susceptible people - those who have undergone surgery or who are already ill - it can cause severe and sometimes fatal complications