Hospital chiefs in Bradford have been awarded £70,000 of Government cash to clean up their act.

The money, allocated as part of the NHS's Clean Hospital Programme, will be used to make Bradford Royal Infirm-ary and St Luke's Hospital cleaner and more patient friendly.

The 12-month programme will be spearheaded by a £10,000 refurbishment of the BRI's main entrance.

The scheme comes ahead of a massive £116 million redevelopment of the BRI's site, which will eventually see a new main entrance built at the other side of the hospital, if plans before Bradford Council's Planning Commit-tee get the go-ahead.

The rest of the money will be spent on projects identified by patient consultation and recommendations made by the Government's Patient Environment Action Teams.

At a meeting of the board of Bradford Hospitals NHS Trust, chief executive David Jackson said patients, visitors and staff would soon see the benefits of the investment.

Projects include new baby changing facilities in public toilets at both hospitals and seating suitable for disabled people outside every ward at Bradford Royal Infirmary.

A carpet in the maternity unit at BRI will be replaced with laminate flooring and the two entrances in the ENT and ophthalmology outpatients department will be re-floored and redecorated.

The outpatients west reception area at BRI will be redecorated, re-carpeted and havenew seating. The relatives' room in the medical admissions unit will be redecorated.

Other improvements will include automatic air fresheners, new drinks trolleys and the replacement of linen such as bed curtains and sheets.

Philip Turner, director of non-clinical support services said: "Much of the hospital is old and needs upgrading.

"To make our facilities more patient friendly we have already improved signage, redecorated, installed litter bins, removed carpets and laid new flooring, put vents in day rooms, bought better furniture and introduced extra plants and paintings.

"We have been inspected by the Patient Environmental Action Teams and are pleased our score at St Luke's Hospital has improved - it has now reached the highest standards. At BRI we have maintained our rating.

"The initiatives within our latest action plan are in addition to, and not a replacement for other rolling programmes and modernisation."