SIR — I started to read Roger Slade’s letter with some astonishment. His claims bore no relationship to my experience in the Royal Hampshire County Hospital after an abdominal operation before Christmas.

Besides the efficiency and extreme friendliness of the medical and nursing staff, I was very impressed by the high standards of hygiene exercised by the staff both in their contact with the patients and in the wards.

There are stringent checks on patients for MRSA before admission, and I observed that staff regularly clean their hands with the gels and washing facilities provided, as well as using disposable gloves when treating the patients.

In the High Dependency Unit, in particular, my wife (who was visiting) and I were very impressed by the intensive cleaning by a nurse of both all the furniture and all the high-tech equipment prior to the arrival of the new patient.

In the Freshfields Ward the floors were washed twice a day with additional cleaning of the furniture.

Based on my experience I wondered what was the basis of Roger Slade’s claims that hygiene standards are low at the hospital?

Then I read the last two paragraphs and all became clear. We have an election within the next six months and the letter was simply a piece of political propaganda.

Tony Hurrell, Mews Lane, Winchester.