Gordon Lishman‚ Director General‚ Age Concern England said:

“The very high rates of this appalling infection will worry many older people as they are the biggest users of the NHS and are most likely to be exposed to it.

"Collating and publishing these figures is a step forward‚ however‚ high standards of hygiene are paramount for controlling c.difficile. Many hospitals are clearly not doing enough to keep the wards safe and clean.  Hospitals should be complying with new core standards on hygiene but we fear that some may be flouting these.

"The Healthcare Commission must make tackling c.difficile an urgent priority as part of its review of hospital infections. Older people and their families will want to use this information to make informed choices about the safety of the hospital they choose to be treated in.”

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