Sunday 23 July 2017

New insight into hospital and healthcare hygiene challenges

New insight into hospital and healthcare hygiene challenges

21 July 2017
Cleaning Matters has published the results of a survey that explores the biggest challenges facing the UK hospital and healthcare cleaning sector.

The online survey was sent out in May 2017 to readers of Cleaning Matters as well as members of the Association of Healthcare Cleaning Professionals (ahcp) to identify their biggest concerns at a time when hospitals and healthcare establishments are being pushed to the brink.
Not only is the sector facing intense pressure to cut the number of hospital acquired infections (HCAIs) and combat the rise of antimicrobial resistance, but it is trying to accommodate growing demand for its services – while reducing its spending.
With effective cleaning and hygiene practices being essential to infection prevention and control, we asked cleaning professionals what the sector can do in order to deliver the standards required.
According to the findings, 40% of healthcare cleaning professionals believe Multi-Resistant Organisms (MROs) to be the most difficult HCAI to prevent and control through proper cleaning and hygiene practices. Norovirus and the flu came second with 24% of the votes.
Half of those surveyed (49%) also see the enforcement of good hand hygiene practices among staff, patients and visitors as the biggest challenge that can lead to cross-contamination in an establishment.
The most popular solutions to deal with this are investment in training and investment in hygiene awareness to better educate staff, patients and visitors.
While the responsibility on the shoulders of the cleaning industry operating in this sector is already considerable and could grow exponentially, half of those surveyed  (50%) are optimistic that healthcare cleaning professionals can deliver infection reductions in a climate of NHS budget cuts.
Better staff training and improving staff morale are the best ways to achieve the productivity gains needed to deliver better performance for less money, the results reveal.
The findings also highlight strong support for a basic hygiene standard that cleaning operatives have to pass in order to work in the sector.
To read the full report online please click here.

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