Lancashire nostalgia in 2004: Bug watch at RPH; cat stuck in a tree; and Becks appeal at PNE

Royal Preston Hospital was just one of the Lancashire healthcare providers visited by bug watch

Bug watch puts spotlight on Lancs hospitals

Doctors on a number of wards at Preston and Chorley hospitals are failing to wash their hands when visiting patients, a bug watch exercise has revealed.

Lancashire Teaching Hospitals Patient and Public Involvement Forum, undertook a project to check hospital wards for good practice in cleanliness and hygiene.

Crystal the cat who had to be rescued from a tree after spending a week up there!

While they found that the majority of nursing staff at Preston and Chorley hospitals were diligent when it came to proper handwashing techniques, they did find that some doctors were not quite so thorough.

The bug watch was carried out by Lancashire Teaching Hospitals, along with other PPI forums in the North West, to help tackle the alarming rise in hospital acquired infections, such as MRSA.

The forum used a specially designed tool kit provided by the North West Office of the Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health, which involved teams of members completing questionnaires on wards at Preston and Chorley and South Ribble hospitals.

Hospitals were pre-warned about the bug watch visit, which led to some criticism that they could prepare by cleaning up.

Preston North End are launching a David Beckham shirt to celebrate 10 years since he played for the team

READ MORE: Look back at a selection of pictures from 2004 here

Cat-astrophe for Crystal the kitty stuck up tree for a week

Pussy cat, pussy cat, where have you been?

Unlike the nursery rhyme, mischievous moggie Crystal has not been to London to see the Queen.

The animal has spent the last two weeks stuck up an ash tree in Ashton, Preston.

The seven-year-old feline’s ordeal began on September 5 when her family’s pet German Shepherd startled her, prompting her to claw her way up the tree trunk.

Her owner Mel Gavell, 32, and daughter Bianca, 11, of Rylands Crescent, finally twigged where she was after hearing her miaowing from the tree.

They enlisted the help of local residents and RSPCA experts but it was soon crystal clear that getting her down would not be easy.

The determined cat refused to move. After she had been in the tree for a week, firefighters from Preston also attempted to coax her down but to no avail.

Mel said: “Crystal is very timid and has only left our house twice. Each time she has had a disaster.

“The first time she was knocked down and spent a month in an RSPCA centre until we eventually found her.

“This time our German Shepherd frightened her and she shot straight up the tree.”

Tree expert Tim Pickard came to Crystal’s aid.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Last week we took a look at the archives from 2003

Becks appeal is back at PNE

Preston North End is going Beck in time.

The Deepdale outfit is celebrating 10 years since David Beckham played for the club by re-issuing replicas of his shirt.

The England captain made his PNE debut in 1994, helping them to the Division Three play-offs.

Now the club plans to remember their second most famous player by selling the blue and white Beckham shirt with the original slogan from sponsor Coloroll.

The Beckham shirt will go head-to-head in the club shop with a replica of the kit fellow legend Sir Tom Finney wore in Preston’s 1954 FA Cup final.