WINCHESTER and Eastleigh Healthcare NHS Trust is investigating the possibility of buying bug-busting technology from Ando-ver-based firm Bio-quell.

Bioquell is the UK leader in specialist decontamination technology in the battle against superbugs, and the Government recently upgraded it to category one status. That means recent evaluations have shown the benefits that should be available to hospitals for their cleaning, hygiene or infection control programmes.

Trust chief executive Martin Wakeley said he had referred the matter to his top infection control expert. "If he says this is the best thing since sliced bread then I'll buy one or two."

One possible problem he anticipates is the technology requires a room to be vacated for eight hours, which could cause difficulties in wards.