A £610,000 programme to upgrade three wards at Colchester General Hospital is set to be finished next month.

As the work on each ward finishes, it undergoes a deep clean, which includes using fogging machines to kill potentially-deadly bacteria.

The machines emit hydrogen peroxide in a vapour form which permeates into all nooks and crannies, such as the inside of radiators, and is effective against many germs, including those which cause Clostridium difficile and MRSA.

Work has finished on Birch and Langham wards, which are a care of the elderly and medical ward respectively, and is on target to finish on Layer Marney Ward, a thoracic ward, in mid-July.

Barbara Stuttle, director of nursing and quality, said it was essential that Colchester General Hospital wards and departments were well maintained.

She said: “The original part of Colchester General Hospital is over 30 years old now and Gainsborough Wing is 15.

“The trust has an ongoing maintenance programme which we are fully committed to going forward.

“Not only does this result in an improvement patient environment and an enhanced working environment for staff, but it allows us to do all we can to minimise the risk of infection.”