This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Audit Scotland report on hospital cleaning
30/01/2003
Priority is to be given updating cleaning specifications
and empowering ward managers to enforce cleanliness
standards, the Executive said today.
Health Minister Malcolm Chisholm was responding to the
Audit Scotland report on hospital cleaning which found:
- a very good or acceptable level of cleanliness in
over 70% of wards and 80% of public areas
- half of the hospitals were rated very good or
acceptable in all areas reviewed
- over 20% showed a need for improvement
Mr Chisholm said:
"I commend Audit Scotland on their report. It provides
the public and patients with a thorough and independent
assessment of the state of Scotland's hospital wards and
public areas.
"The report makes clear that since Audit Scotland's
previous report A Clean Bill of Health significant work to
implement the cleaning standards is taking place in many
Trusts and Boards.
"It also found considerable progress against a number of
the recommendations in the earlier report. However, it is
not acceptable that one in five wards are not up to
standard. It is clear that in a substantial minority of
hospitals improvements must be made.
"I want to see all our hospitals meeting the cleaning
standards set by NHS Quality Improvement Scotland. And the
report shows that this can be done.
"Each hospital has agreed an action plan with their
auditors and they are already working on meeting the
standards. This work should continue without delay. The
Executive has today written to Trusts and Boards to
enforce that message."
The Executive's priorities will be taken forward by the
Chief Medical Officer's task force on healthcare associated
infection, in its first year work plan.
The Taskforce will update national technical
specifications for cleaning processes and frequencies for
NHS Trust and Boards to use. It will also develop guidance
for ward managers on enforcing these standards in the light
of local circumstances.
Some hospitals have already taken action by bringing
their cleaning services back in-house, including the
Victoria Infirmary, Glasgow, Fife Acute Hospitals NHS Trust
and Monklands Hospital in Lanarkshire.
South Glasgow Trust is also spending £4 million on ward
refurbishment at the Victoria Infirmary. In North Glasgow,
new accommodation in the Jubilee Building, has meant
patients have now moved from wards that were of
concern.
The Audit Scotland report also highlighted the issues of
staff absences and high turnover.
Commenting on these, the Minister said:
"NHS employers and the trade unions have recently
reached agreement on addressing low pay for NHSScotland
staff which means that from the end of last year no one
will earn less that the agreed minimum salary of £5.18 an
hour.
"This is a significant movement on low pay, and for the
lowest paid ancillary worker could mean an increase of up
to 16 per cent in their wages.
"This is aimed at helping NHS Trusts and Boards to
recruit and retain domestic services workers and help
reduce absences and the number of undermanned shifts
highlighted in the Audit Scotland report."
Since a previous Audit Scotland report,
A Clean Bill of Health, published in April
2000, the Executive asked the Clinical Standards Board for
Scotland to develop and set cleaning standards for NHS
Trusts and Boards to meet. These have now been assessed by
Audit Scotland in this report.
In
Our National Health, published in December
2000, the Executive identified better cleaning services and
cleaning standards as a priority for action.
It also said that the NHS must achieve the best value in
cleaning services - not just the lowest cost. The
contracting out of cleaning services - while often
appropriate - should no longer be seen as the norm."
The multi-disciplinary task force created to take
forward the Scottish Executive's action plan to tackle
hospital acquired infection held its inaugural meeting
yesterday.
Led by Chief Medical Officer Dr Mac Armstrong, the group
will take forward work over the next three years to:
- Co-ordinate the development and implementation of
the HAI action plan
- Review progress in its implementation across the
NHS in Scotland
- Monitor the levels of HAI and assess the impact on
them of control measures
- Take forward amendments to the action plan or its
component initiatives
- Report on progress to the Health Minister and
annually, to the public, through the CMO's annual
report