The team will report to the Minister on a monthly basis and will comprise senior staff from the Department and Public Health Agency. Their key role will be to ensure that there are rigorous monitoring arrangements in place to check that real and rapid improvements are being delivered.
The Minister’s comments follow the publication of the latest unannounced hygiene inspection reports by the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA).
Mr McGimpsey said: “Over the last two years I have made significant investment in cleaner and safer care for all patients. Although the RQIA reports show areas of real improvement in hygiene and cleanliness, particularly in hospitals in the Northern and Western trusts, I am gravely concerned by the poor performance in some trusts.
“That is why I am establishing a new team whose primary aim is to drive up standards and rigorously monitor hygiene and cleanliness levels across all our healthcare facilities.
“I am encouraged that, for the majority of issues identified at the sites visited by RQIA, the actions have either been completed or significantly progressed. In addition, over the last 18 months we have made huge strides in reducing MRSA and C difficile infections in hospitals. The latest provisional figures also show that the number of infections has fallen by some 30%. This is welcome news.
“However, the public rightly expect hospitals to be clean consistently and this is currently not the case in some facilities. This is not acceptable and I am determined to take whatever steps necessary to address it.”
Further actions to be taken by the Minister to address issues raised in the reports include:
- Chief Executives/senior officials in health trusts to ‘walk the wards’ at least every month to check on cleanliness and hygiene levels;
- A ‘toolkit’ for ward staff to monitor the state of hospital wards; and
- Additional support and advice for domestic cleaning staff.
The Minister continued: “I know that trusts are under significant pressure trying to continue to provide safe, high quality services while at the same time dealing with a huge increase in demand for services within a limited budget.
“It is essential that all trust staff - from chief executives and directors, doctors and nurses and cleaners and porters - take ownership of this key issue for patients. To ensure this happens, I will be requiring senior trust staff to ‘walk the wards’ on a regular basis to ensure that their hospitals are clean. I will also be working closely with the Trade Unions on this issue.
“Clean, safe hospitals are essential if we are to maintain public confidence in our health and social care service. The public too have a role to play in ensuring that they keep our hospitals tidy and do not leave rubbish or cigarette ends lying around. Together we can deliver a cleaner, safer environment for everyone.”
Notes to editors:
Press enquiries to DHSSPS Press office on 028 9052 0575. Out of office hours please contact the duty press officer via pager number 07699 715 44 and your call will be returned.
