Hospital bosses have launched an investigation to check nurses are cleaning beds in between patients.

Mattresses at Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells hospitals will be searched as part of a trust-wide audit this month.

The chief nurse at the trust has said soiled mattresses are often seen around the organisation and must be "dealt with appropriately".

Staff are also being urged to remove covers to ensure there are no seepages on the beds which could lead to infections.

This review is part of a prevention progranmme against the super bug MRSA.

The illness is often caught in hospitals as patients are exposed to a large number of people and other patients can harbour the bacteria on their body.

Chief nurse Claire O’Brien said at the trust board meeting: “We are using this opportunity to remind all our staff on their responsibilities to make sure that mattresses are clean after every single patient.

“This is a really important issue for us to pay attention to and we are going to remind people just how damaged a mattress can be and it can be grim.

“There is a need to make sure there hasn’t been any seepage through the cover and into the mattress.

“Often it can be obvious if the mattress cover is stained but sometimes, not so often because you can get small leak in the mattress which can allow a seepage of liquids into the mattress, which is a significant infection control hazard.”

She added other hospitals have run similar investigations where “you can find something on the mattress that you just don’t want to find”.

“We are urging everyone to pay attention if there are soiled mattresses and when you see one to actually do something about it.

“You will see a number of mattresses that are on beds when you go across the organisation and at times they are soiled so we need to make sure they are taken out and actually dealt with appropriately,” she added.

As part of this initiative the trust plan to replace mattresses and covers that have been contaminated or damaged.

The exact number of replacements is currently unknown.

Last year the trust purchased 60 new mattresses.

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MRSA facts:

Around 1 in 30 people carry the bacteria on their body without their knowledge as it can remain on your skin without any harm

If it gets deeper into the skin pus, redness, swelling, can be seen at the site of the infection.

Serious cases will show a high temperature, chills, dizziness, confusion and aches and pains.

Anyone with these symptons are advised to call NHS 111 or your local GP.

People are often tested before they go into hospital if they are likely to stay overnight at their local GP.

To remove MRSA, an antibacterical cream is applied inside their nose three times a day and an antibacterial shampoo is used for five days.

Clothing, linen and bedsheets should be cleaned in a high temperature during this treatment.