HOSPITAL chiefs have declared war on killer superbugs.

Their bid to wipe out MRSA and Clostridium Difficile (C-difficile) will see all new patients screened for the infections from April.

Carpets in all public areas will be ripped out and replaced with tiles.

And hundreds of chairs, currently used by patients and visitors in public areas, will be replaced.

The plans were unveiled as Health Secretary Alan Johnson announced the Government was to invest millions of pounds in infection control in the NHS.

David Fillingham, chief executive of the Bolton Hospitals NHS Trust, said: "We are delighted the Department of Health is putting yet more impetus on reducing infection rates. We have already made great strides in Bolton, particularly in reducing C-difficile.

"We know that this is a major concern to patients and their families and we are determined to make further improvements."

Currently, all surgery patients coming to the hospital for implants, such as new hips, are automatically screened for MRSA.

The same applies to emergency patients considered more at risk of carrying the infection, such as elderly care home residents or previous carriers of MRSA.

But from April 1, all patients admitted to the hospital, with the exception of life-or-death cases, will be swabbed. This will take place at the hospital, at GP surgeries or at clinics.

Those found to be carrying MRSA or C-difficile who are not in need of urgent medical attention could be sent home with antibiotics.

Hospital bosses hope the carpet and chair replacement plan will be funded by a bid for a £200,000 Government grant.

The moves have been proposed because replacement chairs and flooring would be more easily cleaned and less likely to promote the spread of infection.

Although rates of MRSA and the C-difficile are falling, Lesley Doherty, the hospital's director of nursing and performance management, admits MRSA infection rate targets are not being met.

In the seven months up until the end of November last year, there were 26 cases of MRSA. That was a reduction of one on figures for the previous year and fell short of the Government target for the 12-month period, which was 16.

In the case of C-difficile, a 20 per cent annual reduction has been achieved following the introduction of a new antibiotics policy at the hospital in April.

Since then, there have been 186 cases at the hospital compared to the same period last year, when there were 262.

Mrs Doherty blames the failure to meet the MRSA target on overly-ambitious targets being set by the Government.

She said an estimated 30 per cent of the population carry the bug unawares, so many cases recorded have been acquired before the patient enters the hospital.

"It is almost a social issue we have to address about levels of hygiene," said Mrs Doherty.

The Health Secretary wants every hospital trust to have two infection control nurses - the Royal Bolton already has a nurse consultant and five infection control nurses.

Mrs Doherty said the Royal Bolton was one of the few hospitals to have carried out deep-cleaning operations. "I am happy with the cleanliness of the hospital," she said.