A HOSPITAL Trust chief has highlighted the efforts taken to ensure high standards of cleanliness were maintained at its sites.

The reassurance came after claims were made about the carcasses of rodents being left to rot at Bootham Park Hospital in York for three weeks after being exterminated.

The chief executive of Selby and York Primary Care Trust, Jeremy Clough, defended the Trust, saying only three rats had been found and were disposed of immediately.

"We are aware of an issue at Bootham Park Hospital and have been working closely with York Hospitals Trust and City of York Council's environmental health and pest control departments to eradicate the situation.

"Only three rodents have been discovered and extensive daily searching has failed to locate any further."

Cleaning and estates services for Bootham Park Hospital, which is operated by Selby and York Primary Care Trust, are undertaken by York Hospitals NHS Trust.

Meanwhile, cases of potentially-deadly MRSA superbugs have remained stable at York's hospitals, the Evening Press can reveal.

New figures show 13 hospital-acquired MRSA infections were recorded by York Health Services NHS Trust between April and September last year - the same as the six months March 2004.

This meant it had a rate of 0.11 cases per 1,000 hospital beds.

Harrogate Health Care NHS Trust had only three MRSA cases between April and September - the lowest since records began in 2001.

Mid-Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust recorded the lowest number of MRSA infections since it began recording data, according to figures published by the Health Protection Agency.

Updated: 10:06 Tuesday, March 08, 2005