HOSPITAL superbugs will be targeted in a new clean-up campaign, announced this week.

More than £200,000 of the £31m Department of Health handout announced on Monday will go to hospitals and health services in St Albans.

The NHS Hospital Clean-Up initiative is aimed at 'improving cleanliness and patients' experiences' in hospitals but some of the cash is to be spent on cutting down on the number of patients suffering secondary infections such as the the antibiotic resistant superbug MRSA.

West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust, which has received £150,000 Clean-Up funding, will make its action plan recommendations sometime in the autumn.

A spokesman said: 'The main issue to get over is we are surrounded by these bacteria in our daily lives, and are not at risk from them unless we are very ill anyway.

'Obviously the cleanliness of hospitals has some effect, but that is why sterilisation of dressings and equipment is so vital.

'Some hospitals are like four star hotels but others with lower budgets could quite possibly do with some work and we haven't decided how we are going to use our allocation yet.'

West Hertfordshire Community Health NHS Trust director of finance John Jones said it had been awarded £50,000 for this year, but future Clean-Up spending would have to come from existing budgets.

He said: 'It is a one-off payment and after the initial boost we will be expected to maintain any extra services from existing resources.

'We are drawing up our action plan over the next two weeks to target areas that need improvement but we already have staff working on Clean Clinics as part of our existing cleaning contracts.

'Because we are not in acute operative situations we do not have any problems with patients picking up secondary infections at our centres.'

'The money will go to priority areas decided by the action plan, probably some more intensive cleaning in some areas, and for minor redecoration.'

MRSA, or antibiotic resistant superbugs, and other secondary infections affect an annual 100,000 patients and cost the NHS £1billion nationally, according to figures from the National Audit Office.

It estimates around 15 per cent of these infections could be avoided by better practice in the NHS, saving a potential £150m per year.

Launching the funding, Lord Hunt said the money would help improve patients' experiences of the NHS by focusing on their comfort, convenience and dignity.

He said: 'Patients expect tidy wards and corridors, smart entrances, clean furniture and flooring, and better decor.'