Patients suffering from cancer and recovering from the after effects of brain surgery and plastic surgery at Ninewells Hospital will be the first to benefit from the housekeepers.

NHS Tayside also announced in January that new health measures were to be introduced, including staff being issued with hand-held antibacterial gel sprays and the continuation of the Cleanliness Champions training programme.

Mr Kerr said today these, and other, health measures, would be implemented in hospitals across the country. Mr Kerr also announced the publication of new infection control standards for adult care homes.

Mr Kerr said, “Healthcare associated infection (HAI) is a major concern for the public and for me. We are tackling this head-on with the raft of measures I am announcing today.

“Most importantly, we are putting sisters/charge nurses back in charge of wards. They will be clearly responsible for ensuring ward cleanliness and will have more powers to support this. They should be the first point of contact for patients or visitors, who have concerns over standards of cleaning.

“The whole campaign will be thorough, relentless and systematic. And it has to involve everyone because infection control is everyone’s business.

“That means all of us — staff, visitors and patients — playing their part.

“There will be a national training programme and opportunities to develop their skills and careers as part of valued NHS teams.

“We will also pilot the reintroduction of ward housekeepers working under supervision of the sister/charge nurse.”

“There will be clearer antibiotic prescribing guidance for clinical staff and specific advice from the CNO to improve nursing practice.

“We are also today publishing new infection control standards for adult care homes because good hygiene is not just a matter for hospitals.”

Other key measures in the campaign include:—

n Every sister/charge nurse to undergo Cleanliness Champions training in infection control and every student nurse in Scotland to have the same training built into their studies.

n Alcohol hand washes by every frontline bed in Scotland by next month.

n A reinforced system of accountability for health boards — each with a senior infection control manager answering directly to the chief executive.

n Major new research to identify and track down the full range of hospital bugs. This will enable more effective control measures and monitoring of progress.

The Dundee-based Care Commission welcomed the infection control standards for care homes.

Chief executive Jacquie Roberts said, “Cleanliness, good hygiene practice and infection control are key components of good quality care.

“Last year, in our review of quality in Scotland’s care homes for older people, we identified a number of infection control concerns.

“We intend to use the new standards to work with the people who use and deliver services in adult care homes to improve procedures and prevent infection.

“We are also planning a more in-depth analysis of issues relating to hygiene, cleanliness and infection control in care homes for older people.”

Jane McCready, board chair of the Royal College of Nurses Scotland said, “RCN Scotland has long been arguing that nurses are best placed to provide the leadership needed in dealing with ward cleanliness and infections and being able to intervene with the authority of chief executives will help to ensure problems are dealt with as and when they arise.

“However, it will also be vital that nursing staff are given the resources and support locally to implement changes quickly when they identify them”

Gerry Marr, chief executive of NHS Tayside said, “I very much welcome the minister’s announcement today.

“This is a matter I take very seriously and I am determined to reduce the incidence of healthcare acquired infection in our hospitals over the coming year.

“We have already introduced a series of measures on the recommendations of our microbiologists.

“These include ward housekeepers, the use of anti-bacterial gel sprays and the ongoing training of Cleanliness Champions throughout the organisation. We are now looking at a further raft of measures to ensure healthcare acquired infection is reduced in Tayside.”