AN Essex health chief has taken his advice on battling NHS superbugs online by “broadcasting himself” on the website YouTube .Paul Zollinger-Read, chief executive of the North East Essex Primary Care Trust (PCT), is appearing on the popular video clip site to promote the fight against infections such as MRSA and Clostridium Difficile.

By Roddy Ashworth

AN Essex health chief has taken his advice on battling NHS superbugs online by “broadcasting himself” on the website YouTube .

Paul Zollinger-Read, chief executive of the North East Essex Primary Care Trust (PCT), is appearing on the popular video clip site to promote the fight against infections such as MRSA and Clostridium Difficile.

The scheme across the Colchester and Tendring area is called “Busting the Bugs: taking the safer route to healthcare together”.

It will see a red double-decker London bus travel throughout north east Essex to raise awareness about the transmission of the diseases.

It will highlight the dangers of healthcare-associated infections and how they spread as well as how health professionals and the public need to work together to reduce the number of infections in the community.

Dr Zollinger-Read said: “We need to be as creative as possible in reaching out and engaging with the whole of our community and we hope YouTube will help us reach people who would otherwise be unaware of this event taking place.

“We are very keen for many people to take part in this event as tackling infections such MRSA and C-diff is an extremely important issue.

“Health organisations are working very hard, and successfully, to reduce the number of infections occurring and spreading in healthcare settings, but to help us improve the situation even further it is vital the public understands it has a role to play.

“I encourage everybody who has a spare minute or two to come and have a look around the bus to learn how we can all work together to reduce the risk of spreading these potentially life-threatening infections.”

The bus will visit a total of 10 locations in five days throughout north east Essex, starting on Monday .

The timetable of the bus will be:

* Monday, November 5 - 9.30am to 12.30pm at Waterglade Park, Clacton, near Morrison's, and then 1.30pm to 4pm at Golf Green Community Centre, Jaywick.

* Tuesday, November 6 - 9.30am to 12.30pm at Colchester outside the Town Hall and then 1.30pm to 4pm at Greenstead Estate, Colchester, car park near the Community Centre.

* Wednesday, November 7 - 9.30am to 12.30pm at the Dovercourt Co-op, Main Road, and then 1.30pm to 4pm at the Manningtree Co-op, Riverside Avenue.

* Thursday, November 8 - 9.30am to 12.30pm at the Tiptree Co-op, Church Road, and then 1.30pm to 4pm at Tollgate Sainsburys, near Colchester

* Friday, November 9 - 9.30am to 12.30pm at the Brightlingsea Community Centre, Lower Park Road and then 1.30pm to 4pm at the Triangle Shopping Centre in Walton.

Internet Link: www.northeastessexpct.nhs.uk