A FORMER paramedic with 30 years experience in the health service has called for an urgent review of hospital disinfectants amid fears of an increase in superbug MRSA.

A FORMER paramedic with 30 years experience in the health service has called for an urgent review of hospital disinfectants amid fears of an increase in superbug MRSA.

Ron Saddington , who was in charge of a team of hospital porters in Sudbury for almost 20 years, has begun a campaign to get traditional cleaning fluids reinstated into hospital wards instead of the current chloride-based disinfectants.

And the grandfather's concerns were last night backed by South Suffolk Tim Yeo MP who claimed that the current bed crisis in Suffolk could lead to further cases of the potential killer.

Mr Yeo told the EADT: “One issue here is that if the hospitals are running at full capacity, the risk of MRSA is going to be much higher.

“If more beds are closed this problem will get even worse. That means that plans to close beds - like what is proposed in Sudbury - should be a matter of concern for everyone in west Suffolk. MRSA is such an urgent problem that I feel it is only right to press it.”

The MP has now begun lobbying the Department of Health calling for fresh research into types of disinfectant after he was contacted by Mr Saddington, who lives in Great Cornard.

“I worked for the health service for 30 years and as soon as they took cleaning product disinfectants out of hospitals, we started hearing about MRSA,” Mr Saddington, 68, said.

Mr Saddington, who worked as a paramedic in Suffolk and Essex before becoming head porter at St Leonard's and Walnuttree hospitals in Sudbury, has since written to West Suffolk Hospital calling for bosses to take action.

But Dr Caroline Barker, the hospital's consultant microbiologist, said: “We use chlorine-based disinfectants because the chlorine is the most effective chemical for dealing with spores, such as those formed by clostridium difficile . Our cleaning policies are under continual review and we aim to use the most efficient methods that are available.”

A spokesman for the NHS Supply Chain, which deals with the provision of cleaning products, said: “We place the highest importance on hygiene and work very closely with customers, including NHS trusts, to supply products according to their specifications.

“We have a broad selection of cleaning products, including chlorine-based disinfectants, which can be used for specialist infection control procedures. We supply the best products available on the market and support the provision of the highest standards of patient care.”

dave.gooderham@eadt.co.uk