Cleaning hours fall at hospital (From Western Telegraph)

Cleaning hours fall at hospital

THE number of hours that Withybush Hospital is cleaned per week has fallen, it has been revealed.

The cleaning statistics show an 11% reduction in weekly cleaning hours from 3,091 in 1989 to 2,751 today.

The figures emerged after the UK's largest health union called for the Government to get more cleaners back on to wards.

At a recent conference, as part of its campaign for cleaner hospitals, UNISON highlighted the important role cleaning staff have in infection control.

"Dirt isn't cheap and the human cost is enormous," said general secretary Dave Prentis. "Five thousand people die, and 100,000 patients suffer from hospital acquired infections each year. The financial cost to the NHS is more than £1 billion a year."

The health union said the solution was to get more cleaners back on the wards, rather than relying on sanctions against contractors who fail to come up to scratch.

But Pembrokeshire and Derwen NHS Trust confirmed it does not contract out its cleaning service, employing all of its own cleaning staff.

Furthermore, it said standards were regularly monitored in line with the all-Wales National Standards of Cleanliness for Hospitals, particularly in view of the link between infection control and hospital cleanliness.

Such monitoring led last year to the introduction of a pilot scheme at Withybush Hospital.

Increased staffing levels and cleaning frequency resulted in improved standards of cleanliness and additional funding has enabled the pilot to continue on a permanent basis.

"Providing adequate and effective cleaning is an integral part of our infection control procedures," said head of nursing and quality at Withybush Hospital, Chris Hayes.

"It is a matter we take very seriously and the hospital's infection control team is closely involved in our monitoring programme."

A new independent report commissioned by UNISON has highlighted the problems cleaners face and what they say needs to be done to keep hospitals clean and infection free.

"Hospital cleaners are the real experts and they say we need more staff, better equipment, proper training, effective teamwork and greater involvement in decision making," said Unison general secretary Dave Prentis.

The report suggests ten steps for cleaner hospitals including more staff and more hours, better pay and conditions and bringing cleaning services back in-house.