Q and A: Margaret Watt

THE chairwoman of the Scotland Patients Association welcomes the introduction of spot checks on hospitals in the battle against superbugs. But she says patients need to have the confidence to highlight their concerns on hygiene.

What do you think about the plans to have unannounced visits to hospitals to check on infection control measures?

I think it is fantastic if it works and is properly monitored. It should help cut down on the number of patients being infected with, and dying from, infections such as MRSA and Clostridium difficile.

Why is it important that these inspections are made without giving the hospital prior warning?

It is like any area in life. If you know that checks are going to be made on you, you do everything you can to make yourself look good. Hotel inspectors do not announce when they are visiting, and neither do inspectors visiting restaurants to check on standards. It should be the same in hospitals to make sure we get a true picture of what is happening, levels of cleanliness and whether they are following infection-control procedures.

Will the new measures help improve patients' confidence in the NHS?

I think it will help patients have more confidence if they have to go into hospital. Patients also need to have the confidence to speak out if they see something they don't like. If they see that something is dirty, they should feel able to raise that with staff without fear that they will be treated differently as a result.

What do you think about having more single rooms in hospitals?

I think that is also an excellent idea. Patients deserve to be treated with respect and dignity, and many will find it is better for them in a single room. Hopefully, it will also reduce the spread of infections.

What more can we do to tackle superbugs?

I would like to get more feedback from the research carried out on treating bugs, such as using probiotic drinks in older people.