THE daughter of a man diagnosed with the superbug clostridium difficile while being treated at Southend Hospital has criticised infection-prevention measures there.

Gill Edwards spoke out after the Echo reported an NHS inspection team had highlighted problems with the quality of cleaning at the hospital.

Her father, Sydney Green, 78, was admitted after he suffered a stroke and developed lung cancer and prostate cancer.

He was diagnosed with the superbug in October 2006 after being fitted with a catheter, which led to an infection.

Mrs Edwards, 47, said he had suffered problems ever since, including bouts of diarrhoea, and thinks it is linked to the superbug.

She said: "He keeps getting bouts of it. You can always tell when it's coming because he'll get cold and he'll start shaking as if he's having a fit.

"He even had it at my daughter's wedding and had to be rushed to hospital because of that."

Mrs Edwards was at her daughter's wedding last May when her father began to shiver and had to be taken to Southend Hospital again, where she was surprised to see him placed on a ward with other patients, even though she feared it was C. Diff.

She said: "When he was first taken in by ambulance he went into a room in the acute medical unit next to A&E.

"They had him in a side room on his own and they had gloves and gowns. Even my sister and I had to wear them when we went in. But during the night he had been moved on to the ward and he had diarrhoea.

"They rushed him into a side room, but they wouldn't take my word for it he had C. Diff until he got the diarrhoea."

Mrs Edwards, who lives in Vermeer Crescent, Shoebury, is concerned patients are not put into separate rooms soon enough. She also claims there is a lack of hospital cleanliness which could help the disease spread.

Pat Stone, a spokeswoman for Southend Hospital, said: "We have not corresponded with Mrs Edwards about her father since November 2006 when we sent a letter dealing with issues raised regarding his admission at the time."

After the NHS inspectors' report last month, Sarah Dawson, director of nursing, said: "We take infection prevention and control extremely seriously and are constantly reminding staff and visitors of the need to be scrupulous in hygiene matters.

"We take very seriously the areas they have highlighted where improvements could be made."