The partnership trust said not all patients could use cleaning gels

The Cornwall Partnership Trust's board was told in a report there had been a lack of infection control workers for a significant part of the last year.

There were 11 cases of MRSA in that time. The trust also admitted gels for personal cleaning were not fully used.

It said gels were flammable and it was inappropriate for them to be accessible to people with mental illness.

The Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust, which advises all NHS staff in the county on infection control, said vacancies for infection control nurses had now been filled.