THE boss of Wiltshire Ambulance Trust has admitted that cleaning standards are not up to scratch and could pose a health risk.

His admission follows claims from a paramedic that dirty ambulances are putting patients' health at risk.

The medic fears efforts to eradicate the superbug MRSA could all be for nothing as ambulances ferry patients to Swindon's flagship GWH in unclean wagons.

Paul Gates, pictured, Wiltshire Ambulance Trust's director of operations, admitted deep-cleaning of ambulances is done on a haphazard basis.

The medic, who does not wish to be named, said he was so worried about the situation that he would not want to be a patient on his own ambulance.

"The ambulances are disgusting. They're not being deep-cleaned properly to prevent cross infection," he said.

Although crews mop up blood and other bodily fluids using alcohol wipes, the experienced paramedic claims deep-cleaning is not being carried out.

Mr Gates told the Evening Advertiser that thorough cleaning should be carried out at least every three weeks to prevent grime building up.

But the paramedic on the ground claims time and money is not being invested to make this happen.

He said: "We're asked to clean the ambulances between jobs but we can't always do that due to the workload.

"This issue gets brought up in meetings with management and promises are made but they are not kept.

"The only way you get rid of in-ground dirt is through deep-cleaning.

"This involves stripping the ambulance of all the kit before it can be cleaned.

"The wards at the hospital may be clean but who takes the patients there? We do. Unknowingly, we could be taking someone with MRSA to the hospital then our next job could be a road traffic accident where the patient has open wounds."

Mr Gates promised a specialist team of cleaners would be brought in to boost cleaning standards in April.

"We will ensure that vehicles are cleaned by professionals," he said. "That will happen when we get the funding, which is expected in April.

"We take infection control very seriously and we have an action plan in place that is regularly monitored by our health and safety committee.

"If crews suspect a risk of cross contamination they should inform control immediately.

"We recognise that there is a lot of pressure placed on our crews particularly in the Swindon area.

"Countywide there has been an 11 per cent increase in demand since April 2004.

"The organisation is doing as much as it can to manage the problem.

"I can take ambulances off the road but how am I going to get the casualty to hospital?

"We have a limited number of ambulances available to use.

"I'm caught between the devil and the deep blue sea."

Wiltshire Ambulance Trust has 34 ambulances to cover the entire county's emergency medical needs.

At any one time, 22 are at its disposal.

Ray Carrick, assistant general secretary at the Ambulance Service Union, said: "As an ambulance service union we're deeply concerned about the dangers of cross infection through ambulance vehicles.

"We support all moves to improve and enhance the cleaning and safety of ambulances and we think this is a necessary process for the ambulance service to engage in along with several other areas of the national health service."

Chris Birdsall, spokesman for Swindon and Marlborough NHS Trust, said: "Any commitment from a health care organisation to increase levels of cleanliness and to improve infection control has to be welcomed.

"Our own record of cleanliness is very good.

"We have recently found that we are one of only 118 hospitals out of 1,184 hospitals nationwide to be given an excellent rating by the Patient, Environment Action Team."

A doctor's orders

Dr Peter Crouch, of Tawhill Surgery in West Swindon, said: "I am always impressed by the level of professionalism of the paramedics I come in contact with.

"To learn that the vehicles they travel in may not be cleaned thoroughly and regularly, alarms me and I understand the public would be astonished.

"Ambulances frequently deal with people covered in body fluids and it seems incredible that cleanliness in ambulances should not be of a similar standard to that expected in any clinical environment.

"If paramedics have raised it as a concern, they should be protected, congratulated and something should be done about it. If you think about it someone's got to be pretty ill to travel in an ambulance and may well have broken skin.

"So having some one else's body fluids left from before on broken skin is what causes the health risks. The deep clean means you know that it's been cleaned completely. If that's not happening then it's possible that a patient could leave infected body fluids in an ambulance for a considerable time which is where the health risk is."

Kevin Shoesmith