During this week in 1985, Wandsworth Health Authority was criticised for deciding to accept a staff and union bid for a cleaning contract at a hospital for the mentally ill, rather than outside contractors.

The authority decided to reject two lower bids from outside contractors for the cleaning of Springfield Hospital in Tooting.

The cleanliness of hospitals is something which continues to be a hotly debated topic and Government reports have shown that many are failing to meet standards.

Fears were raised that using outside companies was more likely to mean lower standards. However the crucial factor which has been found in many recent surveys and inspections is whether cleaning teams are effectively managed and working in partnership with other staff.

The Health Care Commission in 2005 found that in made no difference to cleanliness standards whether 'in-house' cleaning teams were used or not.

In 1985, the main criticism of the authority decision came from then junior health minister John Patten, who said there was no reasons to reject the lower bids proposed by outside contractors and stating the Authority needed to better manage its financial resources.

Members of the Springfield Hospital who voted against taking private contractors hit back at Mr Patten, claiming that consideration was given to all bids and that high standards would continue to be maintained at the hospital.

The state of many hospitals is perennially high on the list of public complaints about the NHS, and despite the Commission's findings critics have often claimed the decision during the 1980's to outsource cleaning contracts to private firms meant a fall in standards.

Unions claim that contractors often cut corners in order to come up with the lowest bid.