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Health Care-Associated Infections

I do not need to put it in amendments; I tell NHS staff week in and week out what a fabulous job they are doing. I know that the hon. Gentleman has been paying close attention to my words, and he will already have heard me say what a tremendous job the staff are doing. It is thanks to NHS staff that we have seen cleanliness improving year on year since the annual inspections began seven years ago. At that time, about one third of hospitals were rated as poor. Now, only a handful fall into the lowest categories of poor or unacceptable. We raised the bar for PEAT scores in 2007, and I am pleased that the NHS has risen to the challenge. Even with this higher standard, figures published today by the National Patient Safety Agency show that in 2007, 98 per cent. of hospitals were rated excellent, good or acceptable, up from 95 per cent. in 2006.