The William Harvey Hospital has passed a strict inspection to prevent the deadly MRSA and C-diff bugs.

The Ashford hospital met all standards set by watchdogs the Healthcare Commission in checks for cleanliness and infection control.

There was some criticism about disposal of gloves and aprons on the site but the trust still passed overall in that particular category.

The Hygiene code inspection report was for East Kent Hospitals University NHS Trust’s three main sites, also including Kent and Canterbury and Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother in Margate.

The Commission is inspecting every hospital trust this year to check that they are following guidance to protect patients from infections such as MRSA and C-difficile.

The report followed unannounced visits by the watchdogs to the sites last December.

It said that the trust met all four main duties and 16 sub-duties demanded such as training, hand washing provision, decontamination of equipment and clean uniforms.

A section of the report covering cleanliness and condition of healthcare areas said: “On the William Harvey site there were some isolated incidents indicating less attention to detail than on the other two sites.

“More generally we noted that gloves and aprons were often disposed of in bins that were not designated for clinical waste, contrary to the trust’s policy.

“However our overall impression was that clinical areas and environments used for the care of patients were clean, tidy and well maintained.”

A total 90 deaths stemmed from Clostridium difficile in a scandal that rocked Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust in 2007.

But the Commission says that the East Kent trust’s C-diff rates have decreased steadily since June 2006 and have remained below the expected level compared with other similar trusts.