Your Letters - April 4

Hospital cleaning

FOLLOWING the Government's insistence that all NHS hospitals should have been deep cleaned in the fight to eradicate hospital acquired infections by March 31 2008, it has, this weekend, been announced that a huge percentage of hospitals will fail to meet the target.

However, it is encouraging to see that the Conquest Hospital is noticeably cleaner than some 17 months ago when my husband died of MRSA, whilst in their care.

C.Difficil is a killing infection that is dirt related. However, MRSA is most commonly humanly carried and therefore personal attention to cleanliness can never be taken lightly.

What concerns me is that 'proper' deep cleaning is both an expensive process and very disruptive to patients and staff alike.

So how will the cleaning standards be maintained, bearing in mind that NHS Trusts have a limited budget for any cleaning!?

It is important that all visitors who enter the hospital be the "EYES" for the Trust and should any person have any doubt that certain areas are not acceptable as clean standards within a hospital they should bring it to the attention of a member of staff and insist that the matter is attended to immediately! Look up, look down, look under beds, look everywhere!

However, the carriage of MRSA is an issue that every person who enters the hospital becomes responsible for. You could be a carrier of the infection. Deep cleaning will fail to work once people re-enter the areas cleaned!

Unless each person takes responsibility.

People do die from these infections and until it touches the lives of individuals, it might seem unimportant.

The MRSA Support Association conducted a laboratory experiment on a pair of patients slippers which had been in an area of deep cleaning. After six months the MRSA culture, had been grown on the dust taken from the slippers!

Complacency must not take over just because hospitals "look" cleaner.

MARION HAM (Mrs)

Staplehurst

Kent

Lucky patients

I AM writing to say I get a little fed up with reading about the bad reports on the Conquest Hospital.

I myself have been an inpatient on the cardiac ward (James ward) four times, and once on Baird, the standards I found were first class, the treatment I was given was second to none by all levels of staff.

I would also like to say the staff on the ward did not stop working from the time they came on duty to the time they left, waiting on us patients hand and foot, nothing was too much effort at any time of the night or day.

The food was fantastic when you take into account how many they have to cater for, and always hot.

The housekeepers were always cleaning in and around the ward, keeping things looking nice and fresh, and again if you needed something they would do it without question.

Overall, I think we are very lucky to have such a wonderful hospital with so many lovely people running it.

The doctor teams and nurses, housekeepers, and all other staff involved, after all where would we be without them, so come on people of Rother give more positive feedback.

Without them I would not be here today writing this letter.

RAY MOORE

Jubilee Road

Ward thanks

I HAVE just had a three-week stay in the Benson Ward at the Conquest Hospital and I would like to say a big thank you for all the wonderful care and attention given to me by the doctors and nurses there.

MARGARET WILKINSON (Mrs)

Dorset Road

Wheele bins

TODAY I finally got round to ringing the council to see if I could obtain a larger wheelie bin.

With two adults, two children and two pets in the household we do have more rubbish than we can fit in the bin. I recycle cans, bottles, and papers and drive to either ASDA at Eastbourne or the dump once a fortnight to recycle my cardboard and glass. If I do the dump run for cardboard then I always take a bag or two or household rubbish so that I know my bin will close with what is left.

If I do an ASDA run I either have to put a bag in a bin belonging to friends or family or jump in the bin to try and squash it down. If family come for the weekend I feel like asking them to take their own rubbish home! I have had enough!

I rang the relevant number for the council and when asked how many in my household I replied truthfully, I was immediately told that I would not qualify for a bin, no more questions asked at all. I explained how I had tried to manage, could do no more and asked what the solution was if my bin was not emptied as the lid won't close? I was told I do not meet the criteria for a larger bin so they can't help.

When I was asked what the criteria was, in case I had missed something and did qualify, I was told that they couldn't tell me. So in other words if you are an average family of two adults, two children and pets living in Bexhill, tough luck, as in Hastings they get the larger size!!

I had searched the web to see if I could buy a bin myself but apparently they won't take non-Rother bins! Interestingly though many websites state that the 240L capacity bin (the size of our green bins) is the one recommended for families of up to four people, not our smaller size!!!

S. SAUNDERS

Richmond Grove

Pavilion policy

I LOVE the De La Warr Pavilion. It is one of the great landmarks of our coastline and how wonderful that people had the foresight to refurbish it and keep the style and flair of the Art Deco era alive.

It strikes me that the Lord De La Warr must have had a great interest in all things new and modern and was not afraid to have fun. How the De La Warr Pavilion is run is half-hearted and lets down the 'joy of life' that he inspired.

Why is it that this unique building cannot be self funding beggars belief. For weeks at a time what is going on in the theatre - nothing! Why is that? It is quite clear that when there are events on that the venue is a success.

Other similar function buildings throughout the U.K. have their facilities in use all the time so why not here? Mr Haydon said he has had a lot of suggestions. There is surely good reasons why and perhaps rather than be dismissive of people's ideas they should be listened to. They may have a point!

Of course there are the galleries which could have new works of art displayed on a more regular basis. There is the cafe and restaurant which is another facility which could really be something special and is let down by the choice of food available and the prices charged.

Come on, DLWP Trust, please make this wonderful building soar to the dizzy heights that Lord De La Warr would be proud of.

GAIL PLOWMAN

Park Avenue

Parkinson's work

AS this year's Parkinson's awareness week runs from April 7 to 13, I would appreciate the opportunity to draw your readers' attention to the work of the Parkinson's Disease Society (PDS), the only national charity working exclusively to support all people affected by Parkinson's.

The PDS provides support, advice and information to people with Parkinson's, their carers, families and friends. The society promotes and funds research into the cause, cure and prevention of Parkinson's and improving available treatment and care. It also provides education and training for health and social care professionals.

In the UK, one in 500 people - around 120,000 individuals - have Parkinson's. Although often perceived as an older person's condition, many are affected during their working life and of the 10,000 people diagnosed in the UK each year, one in 20 is aged under 40.

At the present time, there is no cure for Parkinson's Disease.

The main treatment is drug therapy, which helps to control the symptoms. Because no two people with this condition are exactly the same, this treatment has to be tailored to the individual and the timing of medication is as important as the dosage. Surgery is also sometimes used.

Good management of the condition may also include physiotherapy, speech and occupational therapies and self help.

There are 300 branches and support groups across the UK. They are run by volunteers - often people who have Parkinson's - and are supported by PDS staff.

The Bexhill, Hastings and Rother Branch, whose members come from the Hastings and Rother Primary Care Trust area (including Rye), meets on the third Friday of each month between 2pm and 4 pm at St Michael's Church Hall, Glassenbury Drive, Bexhill. We organise a range of activities and events throughout the year which are both fun and a great way to make new friends.

There is always someone to listen and provide practical help and advice if needed.

If you have been diagnosed with Parkinson's, are a carer or another family member, a quick call might make all the difference: Barbara Daniels on 214313 or Stuart Baker 754011.

STUART BAKER

Chairman

Bexhill, Hastings and Rother Branch

Parkinson's Disease Society

Bus passes

WELL done, Philipa Coughlan, regarding bus passes for the over 60s (Observer etters).

It's not just parking, but trying to drive out of Lewis Avenue on to the Glyne Gap roundabout is a nightmare.

Much better to exercise and walk to Ravenside shops or to the bus stop, the buses are usually on time, and we don't have to fish around for change for the fare, and a bus pass is easy to keep handy in a pocket.

J AUBREY (Mrs)

Gloucester Avenue

Kind couple

I WOULD like to thank the kind couple who came to my aid when I fell near McDonald's at Glyne Gap on Good Friday afternoon. Fortunately my injuries were not serious.

NAME AND ADDRESS SUPPLIED