A hit squad on call to deal with grime is to be set up under a new cleaning contract for York District Hospital.

The chief executive of the York Health Trust, Simon Pleydell, said he hoped the new contract with Initial Hospital Services Ltd would be accompanied by an "improvement in the overall cleaning standards" at the hospital.

The Evening Press, owners of thisisyork, has received a number of complaints from members of the public about the level of cleanliness in the hospital since highlighting the case of Joan Hargreaves.

Her daughter, Sheridan Stead, of Elvington, has claimed that cleaning and nursing problems at the hospital contributed to her mother's death there from pneumonia and septicaemia, following an operation to remove a tumour.

But Mr Pleydell said the new three-year cleaning contract, due to start in April, contained "enriched" standards and was subject to stricter monitoring.

It was also more flexible, and contained a provision for a "hit squad" which could be summoned to deal with a specific problem on a ward outside the normal cleaning routine.

There is also the possibility of financial penalties being imposed if the contract specifications are not met, though Mr Pleydell was more keen to stress that the trust wanted to achieve a relationship with the new firm.

"It's a new contract with a new contractor, and therefore is an opportunity to get things better," he said.

The trust board, which meets tomorrow, will also receive a report on how the trust has used an extra £150,000 for general cleaning around trust buildings.

Mr Pleydell said good progress had been made.

He added: "I hope that patients and relatives, when they come into any of the hospital sites, will see the benefit of how we have spent that money."

He said one of the specific actions being carried out was refurbishing the lifts in the hospital, which had been the subject of many complaints.

Updated: 11:04 Tuesday, January 30, 2001