I WISH to voice my disgust at the idea of planting people in hospitals to spy on staff and whether they are washing hands etc to curb the spread of MRSA.

MRSA is a serious problem but it does not affect just hospitals. We can carry the bug into hospitals.

Many people outside hospitals have the infection. In short we all need to look at ourselves. I have been a visitor in hospitals and the number of visitors who go on to ward and do not wash their hands despite warning notices at the ward entrance are many.

You cannot expect staff to follow every visitor to make sure that they have washed their hands. They have enough to do looking after the patients.

I am aware that we need to be alert to the dangers of MRSA, but to use the public as spies on hospital staff is not on.

Our nurses and doctors are under enough stress from the job itself through cutbacks and staff shortages as well as making sure targets are met without the added pressure as to whether this patient is really ill or a spy.

Not to mention the time taken up by these people in a bed or outpatients depriving the genuine sick of the treatment they so urgently need.

BILL MAYNARD, Havelock Close, Blackburn.