NORTH Manchester Healthcare NHS Trust has set up five super squads to tackle "grot spots".

The action comes hard on the heels of Health Minister Lord Hunt's pledge of £31 million to clean up the country's hospitals.

Now, North Manchester's squads are being charged to see the local programme through.

As a large district general hospital with 800 beds, North Manchester General Hospital will receive £150,000 for the clean-up, which is aimed at improving the environment for patients.

Shortly after the announcement by Lord Hunt, the Trust decided to move swiftly to determine what they could achieve.

Within two days the super teams, which always include a nurse, had assessed the whole site.

They looked at entrances and main reception areas, internal decoration of common areas and wards, signs, visitors' toilets, the state of the furniture, and much more.

Team leader Marija Greenwood, the Trust's risk co-ordinator, then drew up an action plan which identified priority areas and created a costed improvement programme.

Now, the action plan is being sent to the NHS Executive North West.

It will be presented by Barbara Osborne, director of nursing, to the next board meeting of the North Manchester Healthcare NHS Trust, which is scheduled to take place on Monday, August 21.