Despite much improvement recently in cleaning up Britain’s hospitals, only five out of fifty one acute health trusts passed a hygiene spot check by the country’s health watchdog. The Healthcare Commission undertook the inspections as part of one of the biggest investigations into cleanliness standards in recent years, and found that the majority were not meeting the required standards for NHS institutions set in the government’s Health Act in 2006. 

The Act was designed to improve the conditions which had led to a large number of superbug outbreaks such as Clostridium Difficile and MRSA, but it seems that while significant changes have been made, and most of the complaints are for minor breaches of the guidelines, many NHS trusts could still do a lot more to improve their services. More NHS patients may decide to get a quote for private medical insurance, especially as improvements don’t seem to have been as effective as first thought. It may seem a more reassuring option for some people to take advantage of a private health insurance policy, and gain access to top quality private hospitals, which are renowned for their low rate of superbugs and high levels of standards. 

Overall, the Healthcare Commission found that around 29% of all NHS Trusts across England hadn’t met one of the three main objectives of the hygiene code. But it is particularly worrying, especially for patients, that such a high number of acute clinics should be failing to keep clean in all aspects and areas. Acute clinics offer a wide range of services, including specialist care, emergency treatment and complex and lifesaving surgery, at a time when cleanliness could be more vital than ever. More peace of mind for patients is needed, and they may find themselves turning to private medical insurance to provide this psychological reassurance. Liberal Democrat Health spokesman Norman Lamb told the BBC, "Considering the horrifying death toll from superbugs, it is very disturbing that adequate systems are still not in place in very many of our acute hospitals."