Political poison now infectious

IF the poisonous exchanges at Prime Minister’s Questions are a guide, David Cameron and Ed Miliband believe that the future of the National Health Service comes down to one simple issue – trust.

Labour say the NHS is not safe in Tory hands, and then the Prime Minister says precisely the same about the Opposition. And so it goes on, both men ignoring fundamental questions while they trade statistics and insults.

Yet, as concerns grow about the ability of hospitals to handle any surge in A&E admissions this winter, questions do need to be answered on a range of issues.

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Take today’s report, prepared by Leeds consultant microbiologist Mark Wilcox and others, which says that 72 per cent of clinicians believe that spending cuts will increase the likelihood of patients catching hospital-acquired infections.

This conclusion does need placing in wider context – Mr Cameron would contend that health spending is increasing, and not decreasing, on his watch and progress has been made in the past decade tackling bugs like MRSA because of a relentless focus on hygiene.

But it is significant that 95 per cent of health professionals say that the transmission of C.difficile, and other prevalent infections, is still a major concern and that the decline in the number of outbreaks could be attributed to the under-reporting of such instances. The reason, it appears, could be this: hospital trusts cannot afford the financial penalties if they miss certain targets.

Yet this mindset offers no consolation to any patient who then has the misfortune to catch a life-threatening illness while in hospital. Do their needs not count? It is also ridiculously short-sighted. The fewer people who require overnight treatment in hospital for conditions like C.difficile, the more beds that will be available to treat other patients – and, thereby, ease the pressure on overstretched A&E wards.

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As this newspaper stressed yesterday, political confrontation over the NHS will only make matters worse. What is required is a concerted effort to put the needs of patients first. As such, Mr Cameron and Mr Miliband can begin by explaining how they will respond to these concerns about hospital infections.

Heritage is priceless for Morrisons

THE latest trading results posted by Morrisons could not be more disappointing to all those staff, and customers, who want this Yorkshire institution to prosper.

At least chief executive Dalton Philips is not alone – his predecessor Marc Bolland now finds himself in a similar financial predicament at Marks & Spencer.

It will not be easy – Mr Philips has to satisfy all those customers who have loyally supported the supermarket since its inception in the early 1950s by Sir Ken Morrison while also building a business for the future.

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Yet, while Morrisons has successfully integrated the acquisition of the Safeway chain into its business in order to compete on better terms with its high street rivals, it failed – under Mr Bolland – to anticipate the advent of online shopping and its ability to make a significant impact on market share.

As he comes towards the end of his fourth year at the helm, Mr Philips is still trying to make up for this lack of foresight.

The challenges do not end here. The rolling out of Morrisons convenience stores is failing to keep pace with the rate of expansion being undertaken by Tesco and others; the company is coming under pressure from discounters like Aldi and Lidl who have found their niche in this age of austerity and there are concerns about the quality of customer service.

When Sir Ken Morrison was at the helm, his surprise visits onto the shop floor to ask for certain items helped to keep staff on their toes. He demanded the highest possible standards. Now the younger generations working for the supermarket appear to be oblivious to the company’s heritage. That is regrettable. For, while the economic challenges are very different to the 1950s, sound service remains a priceless commodity.

Magical McCoy: Racing’s patron saint of lost causes

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IT had to be. On a mundane afternoon, and from a hopeless position on the long uphill climb to the distant winning line, AP McCoy provided yet another riding master class on the aptly-named Mountain Tunes to record his 4,000th career winner.

The first jump jockey to reach this magical milestone, this ride was emblematic of the 39-year-old and why his place is now even more secure in the pantheon of British sporting greats. For almost two decades, he has been the undefeated champion of National Hunt racing because of his iron will, fierce determination to win and refusal to yield to injury.

To those in horse racing, and who have the privilege of seeing McCoy in action, he will always be AP because of his humility and generosity of spirit. But to all those followers who still religiously back the 18-times champion in this most dangerous of sports, he will always be the patron saint of lost causes because he treats every race – whether it be the Gold Cup, Grand National or the 3.10pm novice hurdle at Towcester – as the same. If only he could play football.