AFTER reading yesterday's front page story, "The war on MRSA", about the fight against MRSA and C-difficile, I couldn't help but see one area of attack that the health authority seems to ignore time after time.

Whenever I visited my mother whilst she was an in-patient, I had to struggle through the smokers standing outside the entrances of the hospital - and I do mean all the entrances.

At these entrances, I came across patients in their gowns and slippers chatting to and exchanging cigarettes and lights with visitors.

So why is the health authority implementing a "swab a patient" policy while allowing patients to go outside the hospital doors to have a smoke and mix with potential carriers of the bug?

Is it so patients can carry the bug back into the now clean wards on their slippers and clothing, as well as themselves?

Mr J O'Connor, Redcar Road, Little Lever, Bolton