PATIENTS at the Royal Bolton Hospital are being assured that hygiene standards are up to scratch.

It comes in the wake of a damning report claiming 5,000 patients-a year-are dying from hospital infections.

Health officials say a team of infection controllers have been guiding nursing staff for more than 13 years with plans to expand and strengthen the bug busting team.

Patients will also soon be able to ask doctors and nurses whether they have first washed their hands, according to a senior hospital health official.

Elaine Flynn, senior nurse of the Infection Control Team at the Royal Bolton Hospital said: "We have the superbug under control. It is wrong to say that we don't have a problem -- all hospitals in the country do -- but we are following all national guidelines.

"We are at the vanguard of infection control. We are also looking at expanding our team.

"There is no excuse for not washing hands at the Royal Bolton Hospital. If there are no sinks nearby then we have alcohol rub dispensers."

According to the report, compiled by MPs on a watchdog committee, one-in-10 patients fall victim to hospital infections every year.

The report says that this is because doctors and nurses are failing to comply with the most basic hygiene rules such as washing their hands between treatments.

Two wards in L Block at the Royal Bolton Hospital were closed for weeks in February after more than 70 people were hit by an outbreak of gastroenteritis.

The outbreak was not considered life-threatening and hospital officials deny that there have been deaths due to unhygienic conditions.

Mrs Flynn said: "We monitor standards constantly and detect any hospital problems quickly."