Hospital wards need "clever cleaning" to combat the risk of patients becoming infected with the MRSA superbug from their bedside cabinet handle and the nurse call button, a Unison health conference was told.

Dr Stephanie Dancer, a consultant microbiologist, said current NHS policy on MRSA, which focuses cleaning on floors and toilets and frequent hand washing, was inadequate to cope with the threat of patients contracting the "microscopic assassin".