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Cameron suggests superbug fines Tories 'should be party of NHS'
(about 7 hours later)
NHS hospitals should be fined for every patient who catches a superbug, Tory leader David Cameron is to say. The Conservatives have the chance to replace Labour as "the party of the NHS", Tory leader David Cameron says.
In a speech to mark the 60th year of the NHS, Mr Cameron will say that tough fines would be "a means of hard-wiring infection control into the system". In a speech to mark the 60th year of the NHS later, he will pledge to "work tirelessly" in 2008 to achieve that.
Hospitals should lose part of their tariff for each patient if that patient acquires an infection, he will say. And he will outline plans to tackle "superbugs", by fining hospitals per individual case, rather than for missing infection targets.
The government says hospitals should be fined if they miss infection targets, rather than for individual cases. Health Secretary Alan Johnson said many of Mr Cameron's plans were already in legislation before Parliament.
'Historic opportunity' Mr Cameron will speak after a visit to Manchester's Trafford General Hospital, which was the first to be opened as part of the newly-created NHS in 1948.
The Tory leader will speak after a visit to Manchester's Trafford General Hospital, which was the first to be opened as part of the newly-created NHS in 1948. Earn trust
The Conservative Party has an historic opportunity to replace Labour as the party of the NHS David Cameron He will say: "In this, the NHS's 60th year, the Conservative Party has an historic opportunity - to replace Labour as the party of the NHS.
Mr Cameron will say: "It should be a basic rule of social policy that you don't pay for what you don't want more of. "That's quite an aspiration - but I believe it is our duty to live up to it. To be the party of the NHS is an honour that must be earned."
"Money should attend success, not failure." He is expected to say that the Labour government has "badly mismanaged" the NHS while a Conservative administration would "properly establish the NHS as an institution" - with an NHS Constitution.
He will say that his initiative would make hospital managers "concentrate on the effectiveness, not just the volume of treatment". I believe that Conservatives should never attack an institution which so many of our fellow countrymen and women look to as one of the great achievements of our past David Cameron
Mr Cameron has long pledged to put the NHS at the top of his agenda. In his first big policy speech as Tory leader he vowed to defend the NHS and axed his party's previous proposal to subsidise patients to go private.
He will say: "There are many things that Conservatives would want to improve about the NHS.
"But, I believe that Conservatives should never attack an institution which so many of our fellow countrymen and women look to as one of the great achievements of our past.
"It's an institution which embodies, in its very bricks and mortar, in its people, in its services, something which is great about Britain."
Fines per patient
He will also turn his attention to tackling the thousands of cases of MRSA and Clostridium difficile in English hospitals.
He will say targets for C Difficile are too broad and do not penalise hospitals for individual cases.
The Tories say infection targets are not effective
Instead he will outline plans for hospitals to lose part of their tariff for each patient, if that patient becomes infected as "a means of hard-wiring infection control into the system".
Under the plan, fines would be set by the economic regulator Monitor.Under the plan, fines would be set by the economic regulator Monitor.
Mr Cameron will also say: "In this, the NHS's 60th year, the Conservative Party has an historic opportunity to replace Labour as the party of the NHS. But health secretary Mr Johnson said Mr Cameron was proposing something that was already in legislation before Parliament.
"That's quite an aspiration, but I believe it is our duty to live up to it." He said: "We are already taking powers to fine poor performing hospitals, with the pledge to reinvest that money back into the local NHS."
'Deep clean' He said scrapping government infection targets would encourage the NHS "to take its eye off the ball".
The health secretary said Mr Cameron was proposing something that was already in legislation before Parliament.
Alan Johnson said: "We are already taking powers to fine poor performing hospitals, with the pledge to reinvest that money back into the local NHS."
Conservative plans to scrap government infection targets would encourage the NHS "to take its eye off the ball" over bugs like MRSA and Clostridium difficile, Mr Johnson said.
In October, the government announced that a new regulator, the Care Quality Commission, would be set up with the power to fine hospitals over infections.In October, the government announced that a new regulator, the Care Quality Commission, would be set up with the power to fine hospitals over infections.
It has also promised to introduce greater powers for matrons to order extra cleaning on their wards, and pledged that every hospital would undergo a "deep clean" within a year.It has also promised to introduce greater powers for matrons to order extra cleaning on their wards, and pledged that every hospital would undergo a "deep clean" within a year.
But the Conservatives dismissed the plans as "timid" and a "gimmick", and promised their own "far more significant" measures.
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Gordon Brown signalled his plan to introduce a constitution for the NHS which would enshrine patients' "rights and responsibilities".
The government said that did not mean patients with unhealthy lifestyles would be penalised.