Cleanliness Summit To Tackle Unresponsive Cleaning Services, UK

Main Category: MRSA / Drug Resistance
Article Date: 28 Feb 2008 - 1:00 PDT

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The NHS is to push forward with a step change in cleaning services, NHS Chief Executive David Nicholson will indicate today.

Hosting a summit of private and public sector cleaning representatives in London, Health Minister Ann Keen and David Nicholson will begin discussions with these organisations on new approaches to improve cleaning of wards and equipment.

Nicholson will set out plans to:

Enable NHS organisations to act on patient feedback rating the cleanliness of their hospital.

Publish the latest information on MRSA rates for every hospital on the NHS Choices website creating far more transparency about where performance needs to improve.

Improve cleanliness in hospitals by making sure new national minimum cleanliness specifications are met. These will be monitored by Strategic Health Authorities and Primary Care Trusts and will be extended to Ambulances and other health care settings in the summer.

Ensure that nurses have the power to order additional cleaning of their wards, when they need to, such as when a spill happens or when matrons or ward sisters believe cleaning has not been carried out to the necessary standards.

Ensure that where there is an ongoing concern that cleaning standards aren't up to scratch, nursing staff and Trusts can act, potentially leading to providers losing contracts.

This firm action comes as the NHS is set to complete its £57m deep clean programme by which every NHS hospital has carried out a deep clean by the end of March.

Ann Keen said:

"As a result of the deep clean programme we are already seeing a real and noticeable improvement in the cleanliness of the whole NHS estate. We will sustain and build on this improvement as part of routine cleaning across the NHS but we also know we need services which are better able to respond to nurse and patient concerns when they are raised at the ward level.

"The latest quarterly results show falls in C. difficile infections of 16% and MRSA infections of 35% compared to the same quarter the previous year. This provides further justification of the tough and controversial measures the Government is introducing to tackling infections. Since 2003, there have been three annual decreases in MRSA. These improvements are a testament to the hard work and dedication of NHS staff. But we are not complacent and we need to do more."

David Nicholson said:

"Cleaning services are critical to ensuring hospitals have the right environment to bring down infection rates."

The Summit builds on significant steps already taken to improve hygiene and tackle infections. These include:

A new antibiotic campaign - this will raise awareness among the public and doctors of the unnecessary use of antibiotics, which can lead to increased resistance to infections.

£57m funding for deep cleaning - The NHS is on track to deliver a deep clean in every hospital by the end of next month.

Enhancing the nursing role in cleaning - At ward level, Sisters and Charge Nurses to take overall responsibility for standards of cleanliness.

An extra £270 million per year by 2010/11 to fight infections and improve cleanliness - This funding will allow local organisations to invest up to £45m on additional specialist staff, including antimicrobial pharmacists.

NHS Choice

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