Welcome figures show fall in NHS infections

Simon Burgess, Labour & Co-operative Parliamentary Candidate for Brighton Kemptown & Peacehaven, has welcomed a drop in local C. difficile infection rates.

"As someone who used to work on the frontline in the NHS I know how committed and hard working its staff are. These significant drops in infection rates in Brighton and East Sussex are a tremendous tribute to all of their hard work. During my time in the NHS I became more politically active when I saw the effect of successive Conservative government cuts to the NHS. They haven't changed - their Health Spokesperson Andrew Rawnsley claimed that Labour's hospital deep cleans were just a gimmick. Here are the results to prove him wrong."

Alan Johnson MP, Labour's Health Secretary, said: "Our relentless focus on tackling infections is paying off. Across the country, thanks to our tough targets and the excellent work of NHS staff, C. difficile cases are down, but we are not complacent. Labour will continue giving the NHS real help and high standards to aim for. The Tories would scrap the tough targets for reducing hospital infections, which could mean allowing cases of C.difficile to go straight back up. Having dismissed measures like deep cleans, the Tories would do nothing to make hospitals safer for patients."