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Ministers said the move could halve the rate of MRSA infections, which contributed to 1,629 deaths in hospital in 2005. C.Diff was a factor in 3,807 deaths.

Under the new plans, doctors will take samples from the armpits and noses of patients as soon as they come into hospital. Results will be back in hours. Those infected will be put into isolation and given special creams and body-washes before surgeons can operate. Anti-bacterial gel dispensers will also be placed in every patient cubicle.

Lord Darzi, who has also drawn up a blueprint to overhaul the NHS in London, said: “We need a better ethos in hospitals on preventing infection, not just with doctors but with all staff including the porters and visitors.

Gordon Brown has already ordered hospitals to carry out “deep cleaning” once a year, banned doctors’ white coats and given matrons more powers to report to boards, although doctors and specialists have been sceptical of how much these initiatives could do to cut infection rates.

The Lancet, a leading medical journal, said the only way to beat infection was through hand-washing.

Lord Darzi said: “Cleanliness is not just about wards being clean. It’s about preventing the spread of infection. I wash my hands for at least five minutes before I carry out an operation. I tell patients not to let anyone touch them unless they have washed their hands.”

The Darzi review was announced in the summer with the final report expected next year in time for the 60th anniversary of the NHS. But doctors and political parties are sceptical about the Government’s motives, as the interim report was not expected for another week.

Jonathan Fielden, of the British Medical Association, said: “We hope it will set out a clear vision for the NHS and be about engaging with clinicians. But my concern is that it will be about getting good news about before an election.”

Shadow Health Secretary Andrew Lansley said: “Bringing forward Darzi’s findings so soon is yet another example of this government using our NHS as a political football.

“How can NHS professionals feel confident and how can patients feel safe when they know that this report must have been cobbled together without consideration for clinical evidence.”

Norman Lamb, Liberal Democrats’ health spokesman, said it had only been three months since Gordon Brown launched the review.

“How much can he have listened while engineering all the talk about elections?

“The key to providing better services to patients is making the NHS more responsive to local communities, not a plan imposed on the whole country by ministers sitting in Whitehall.”

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