This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Action on hospital cleaning
14/11/2005
New measures designed to ensure the highest standards of cleanliness in Scotland's hospitals were announced today.
They are:
- A compulsory Monitoring Framework for cleaning in hospitals using a traffic light alert system (red - under 70 per cent compliance with cleanliness standards, amber - over 70 per cent and green - over 90 per cent)
- A National Education and Training Framework for Domestic Assistants to make sure they get the education and training they need to enable them to carry out their work to the highest standard
- A new Housekeeper role, focusing on proactive reporting and communication in relation to cleaning and associated patient care issues
Speaking at a conference for the Association of Domestic Management, Health Minister Andy Kerr said:
"Tackling healthcare associated infections is a top priority for the Executive and the NHS. The prevention and control of healthcare associated infections is fundamentally about the safety of patients and the quality of patient care. It is crucial that we meet the highest standards of cleanliness in our hospitals and other healthcare settings.
"Today, we are rolling out a mandatory framework for monitoring cleaning across NHS Boards. This will use a traffic light system to code Boards depending on their compliance with national cleaning standards. We are allocating £100,000 to NHS Boards to help them to implement this. It will enable Boards to identify where standards are being met and quickly rectify where they are not, to ensure the highest quality of cleanliness.
"We will receive quarterly reports on compliance. I want to see a continual improvement in cleaning standards linked to a reduction in the rates of healthcare associated infections, such as MRSA.
"Domestic services staff are valued members of the ward team and their role in preventing and controlling infection should not be underestimated. The new National Education and Training Framework for Domestic Assistants will allow domestic assistants and their managers to identify education and training to support them.
"The new role of Ward Housekeeper will ensure there is close communication between Domestic Assistants and nursing staff so cleaning, maintenance and patient care issues can be actively highlighted and addressed, such as patients not eating properly. This will be reported to the Charge Nurse and rectified.
"These new measures should help to further improve levels of cleanliness in hospitals, with the aim of cutting rates of infections over the long-term."
Midge Rotheram, National Chair of the Association of Domestic Management, said:
"I am pleased that the Executive recognise domestic staff play a pivotal role in the control of infections. Domestic Service Managers from across Scotland have helped in the development of these documents so they fully suit their needs, bringing together cleaning and infection control expertise.
"The new role of Housekeeper will improve the focus on team working and good communication between staff on wards, which is a key factor in the provision of good patient care.
"In particular, I welcome the emphasis on training for Domestic Assistants. It will enable Domestic Assistants and their managers to recognise existing skills and identify where more training is needed."
The Ministerial HAI Task Force established two working groups led by the Property and Environment Forum (PEF) to develop the tools outlined today.
The monitoring framework will enable Boards to monitor compliance with the National Cleaning Services Specification. It will evaluate if cleaning procedures are being carried out effectively so that immediate and longer-term remedial action can be taken. The data will be collected by PEF through a spreadsheet IT system and the Executive will receive quarterly reports.
£100,000 will be allocated to NHS Boards (through the Arbuthnott formula) to help them procure equipment required for the data collection and staffing costs associated with implementing the monitoring framework. This funding is part of our £15 million investment in our infection control campaign, announced in March.
Implementation of the monitoring framework across Boards will be completed by March 2006 and the first quarterly report to the Executive will be in August 2006. The compliance of each NHS Board will be shown through a traffic light system (red, amber, green) and will highlight any serious issues of non-compliance.
The National Education and Training Framework for Domestic Assistants will provide a consistent approach across Scotland to the training of Domestic Assistants.
A job description for the Housekeeper role, including competencies has been developed. This new role will improve cleaning and patient care by encouraging domestic staff to proactively report cleanliness and patient care issues on the ward to the Charge Nurse.