THE starting point for any hospital should be that it is kept as clean as humanly possible.
No matter how hard-pressed the NHS finds itself, skimping on cleaning staff is simply not an option. After all, you don't have to be a top surgeon to know dirt encourages infection.
So it is a relief to hear staff acting on Government orders are s
pending 10 days systematically scrubbing every ward on top of their normal cleaning regimes.
Leeds NHS Trust has more reason than most to roll up its sleeves having been slammed by the Department of Health for serious failings in dealing with the MRSA superbug.
Shockingly, inspectors found infection rates at Leeds's hospitals were 50 per cent above the national average.
A couple of months later, six babies tested positive for the bug in a neonatal unit at Leeds General Infirmary.
This 'deep cleaning' of our hospitals is therefore a step in the right direction. But this cannot be a one-off public relations stunt – wards must be kept spotless every day of the year. Doctors and nurses have enough on their plates trying to save lives. The last thing they need is to have killer bugs on the loose because the wards are dirty.
On wrong track
THE Leeds Half Marathon – one of the city's most important sporting events – has failed to last the distance.
Council bosses have axed the race after 22 years because they apparently want to throw their weight behind Jane Tomlinson's Run For All. The baffling decision means disappointment for thousands of runners – not to mention a loss of income for scores of worthy causes.
Jane's 10k run is a fantastic event that is a fitting legacy for the remarkable achievements of a truly wonderful woman. But then the Leeds Half Marathon has a long track record of putting the city on the map.
We cannot believe this is what Jane would have wanted to happen. And we struggle to understand why in a city the size of Leeds there can't be room for both.
Rising again
IT is easy to forget that Leeds's premier park once boasted an excellent place to eat and drink.
Coming up to the one year anniversary of the blaze that closed it, work is set to begin on restoring Roundhay's fire-ravaged Lakeside Cafe to its former glory. This sluggish rise from the ashes hasn't exactly been Phoenix-like but we will be kind and say it is better late than never. Just as long as work is finished in time for us to enjoy a coffee overlooking Waterloo Lake this summer.
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