WATCHDOGS are to pose as patients in East Lancashire's hospitals to ensure staff tackle the MRSA superbug by following infection control rules.

Chief Executive of the East Lancashire NHS Hospital's Trust, Jo Cubbon, announced the new measure as it was revealed that some doctors and nurses are still not washing their hands.

Mrs Cubbon said that she was planning to use mystery shoppers' to visit wards and even admit undercover patients' onto wards to observe hospital staff.

The plans, which were announced at a meeting between Mrs Cubbon and the family of David Short, the first person in East Lancashire to die from MRSA.

David Short, 61, of Zion Road, Blackburn, died at Queen's Park Hospital of MRSA after being admitted for a routine operation for ulcertaive collits last June. Today his brother, Martin Ravenscroft of Topaz Street, Blackburn, said the new initiative was a welcome attempt by the Trust to deal with a "growing superbug crisis."

The move was welcomed by patients representatives and unions.

But Tim Ellis, spokesman for UNISON, said: "If there isn't consultation and mystery patients are not targeted where there are concerns it could be a waste of staff time."

The announcement came just days after it was revealed that hospitals in East Lancashire have the highest rate of MRSA cases in the county.

More East Lancashire residents got the killer super-bug per 1,000-bed-stays than in the rest of Lancashire, according to Department of Health figures.

The figures were the 80th highest out of 141 Trusts in England and higher than the three other Trusts in the county.

In 2004/2005 the Trust recorded 69 cases of MRSA and the Trust admitted last month that it was not on target to have less than 50 cases of MRSA in 2005/06.

Mrs Cubbon said: "The mystery shopper would visit on an unannounced and anonymous basis so as to get a feel for how services are provided from a patient's perspective.

"The aim would be for them to identify areas of good practice as well as areas where improvements need to be made.

"The idea is still being worked through and we would expect to have a programme up-and-running by the end of this year."

In December the Patient and Public Involvement Forum (PPI) listed a catalogue of unclean wards at hospitals in Blackburn and Burnley and said "lessons have not been learnt" in the fight against MRSA.

Denis Wilcock, a member of the PPI, who has been carrying out monthly inspections at Blackburn Royal Infirmary with the head of facilities, said that the introduction of "mystery shoppers" was only going to work if the Trust took action based on their findings.

He said: "We have carried out numerous series of visits during this period to wards and departments on all sites throughout the Trust. Whilst not being anonymous they were all unannounced and our findings have always been reported back to the Trust.

"Time and time again we have raised concerns regarding consultants, doctors and nursing staff being observed not washing their hands before attending to patients."

Caroline Collins, of The Royal College of Nursing, said: "I hope that it will be part of a wider response looking at why staff are under pressure and are rushing and might not get the chance to wash their hands.

"I totally support any initiative to maximise infection control and basic handwashing is fundamental. Mystery shoppers should also be looking at visitors to the ward and whether they are washing their hands."