A new hospital watchdog could close hospitals within 24 hours as part of the fight against superbugs, the Department of Health announced today.

The Care Quality Commission will have the power to shut down wards and entire hospitals, carry out inspections, and fine health care providers.

For the first time, the new regulator will also have powers over private hospitals and healthcare providers.

The health secretary, Alan Johnson, said: "Despite progress, tackling infection remains a challenge for the NHS. I am determined that we will take action where necessary to safeguard patients and ensure staff feel able to report concerns.

"The regulator will have tougher powers to inspect and even close wards in order to protect patients and service users.

"NHS staff, such as matrons, nurses and porters, who spend every day on the wards, need to feel able to report concerns to the new regulator."

The CQC has been set up in response to the Healthcare Commission's investigation into the Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells Trust. Their report blamed bad management at the trust for failing to contain two outbreaks of C difficile, which killed 90 patients.

Part of the powers of the new watchdog will be to "take rapid action" to close down infected wards. A DoH spokesperson said: "In theory, the regulator would have the power to shut an entire hospital, but it is hard to think of a situation where that would be necessary.

"We didn't want to deny them that power, but it would only be used in a very extreme situation."

The CQC will also have the power to inspect and shut down private hospitals and healthcare providers, something that has never been granted before. "For the first time a consistent enforcement approach has been applied to both sectors," said the spokesperson.

The new health regulator will come into force within the next 12 months as part of the new health and social care bill, due to be introduced in parliament this year. It will combine the existing Healthcare Commission, the Commission for Social Care Inspection and the Mental Health Act Commission.