Airedale NHS Trust has launched a campaign educating the public about infectious diseases.

Chief executive Adam Cairns said he was dismayed when he realised the public thought the hospital was swamped with cases of MRSA and Clostridium difficile.

He said: "The perception of the public is that you will catch these things as soon as you walk through the door when in actual fact we have only about 12 cases all year."

Paul Godwin, the trust's consultant microbiologist and director of infection prevention and control, said: "The cleanliness of our hospital and control of infection is an absolute priority for us.

"This year Airedale NHS Trust is fully compliant with the Healthcare Commission core standards relating to control of infection, hospital cleanliness and hygiene.

"We have achieved this by showing a successful reduction year-on-year of our MRSA infection rates."

Mr Cairns will be leading a group to make the public aware of the reality of infection control, while a training programme for staff will continue to drive home the messages in the "Clean Your Hands" campaign and work with matrons to further improve cleaning standards.