The demonstration by Bradford and Airedale Teaching PTC involving a "bug run" in a UV light tent was chiefly aimed at demonstrating to NHS staff the importance of infection control.

By showing how easy it is to be contaminated by touching everyday objects, it appears to have been an impressive exercise.

There have been some sharp lessons to be learned from it for the fight against the hospital superbug MRSA, chiefly about the need for proper handwashing, preferably using soap and water or detergent handwipes as the bacteria which causes the infection does not respond well to the ubiquitous alcohol hand gel.

Let's hope that the health staff who saw this demonstration take its message on board. It is generally accepted that over-reliance on antibiotics to clear up infections led to a decline in standards of hospital cleanliness and also triggered the rise in MRSA. It now seems that only scrupulous cleanliness, using old-fashioned methods, will improve matters.

However, the fight should not be left solely to NHS workers. Although the advice produced by the PTC is chiefly for their benefit it needs to be heeded by everyone, particularly hospital patients and their visitors.

The bacteria can be taken into hospitals on hands and left on surfaces to be picked up on the hands of others. The hand-washing message, particularly after going to the toilet and before and after visiting a patient, is a very important one for everyone if this alarming health problem is to be brought back under control.