It said the hospital has a strict cleaning policy and domestic cleaning hours have not changed for two years and that isolation rooms are cleaned with chlorine after an infectious patient leaves, leaving no need to delay the next admission.

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We need a proper strategy to make cleaning central to policy development.

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Critics say mandatory intervention can only work if backed by a rigorous prevention policy and could easily be a pretext for cleaning up the streets.

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The ship runs on an open-door policy, to facilitate the work of the cleaning staff, but of course they can lock their rooms if they wish.

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"In rehab wards for instance, where patients are staying for long periods of time, the turnover rate is low so the issue of cleaning beds between patients is not so pressing, " said Nigel Edwards, director of policy for the NHS confederation.

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