### Clue: Sterilise hospital shortly before it is stripped clean (8)
### Answer: SANITISE 
 ### Explanation: Definition: Sterilise
 SAN(short for;…shortly "sanatorium";a hospital for the treatment of chronic diseases) **placed above**(before, in a down clue) IT IS + **the central letter of**(stripped, of not just one, but two, layers) "clean ".