A NEW Forest hospital has had to refuse the gift of homemade patchwork quilts because they could be flammable or spread the super-bug MRSA.

Members of Fordingbridge Quilters and Patchers decided to craft a range of colourful bedcovers to brighten up the lives of the elderly patients in the town's hospital.

But after 30 of the covers were stitched together and lovingly quilted by hand, members were told their gifts were not welcome by New Forest Primary Care Trust bosses.

Town Mayor Jean Willis created two of the quilts herself at home.

The majority were put together at a twice monthly meeting in the hospital itself.

Mrs Willis said the group was started by a nurse who thought it would be a great idea to add colour to the lives of elderly patients.

"The ladies are quite shattered. They're really quite shocked by the bureaucracy," she said.

"I want to stress I'm not criticising Fordingbridge hospital because they're a fantastic bunch, but they've been given their orders."

While accepting there could possibly be a fire hazard with the quilts, Mrs Willis said that the belief they could spread the MRSA infection "is quite frankly dotty".

But her main criticism is that despite the fact it was well known the group had been creating the quilts since February, nobody thought to tell them they could be unsuitable.

Eleanor Simmonds, spokesman for New Forest PCT, the National Health Service trust reponsible for hospitals in the area, said it was only when the quilts were delivered it was decided they should be checked.

"It was a breakdown in communications and staff at a senior level who make these decisions were not informed about this at an early stage," she said.

"Our health and safety team have tested these materials, which were extremely flammable and gave off a great deal of black smoke when burned.

"They do not meet the stringent requirements set out in the NHS fire code.

"We also need to protect against infections like MRSA and all of our bed linen must be laundered repeatedly at very high temperatures to safeguard patients.

"These quilts are unlikely to be able to withstand such intensive laundering.

"We cannot, now that we know this, let them stay on patients' beds."

She said the women could provide quilts that meet safety and infection control standards.

"We have now contacted the group to discuss how we can work together to the benefit of patients."

First published: August 27