From: Ian blenkharn@ianblenkharn.com
Category: News & information
Date: 27 Nov 2009
Time: 17:29:24 +0100
Remote Name: 81.154.185.129
As widely reported in the local, regional and national (UK) press, criticism of hygiene conditions at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary have now been exposed to public and professional scrutiny. A damning report from the Scottish Healthcare Environment Inspectorate (HEI) highlighted a number of concerns at the hospital, including “poor levels of cleanliness” and infection control.
Dirty toilet seats, stained shower trays, spillages on walls and dusty wards were just some of the failings found by health inspectors. Dust was found at both high level (curtain rails around beds) and low level (under beds and benches).
“Stains and spillages were found on walls and ceiling tiles. Bath/shower rooms were not clean, with shower trays stained and shelves left dusty. “In addition, the underside of toilet seats were found to be dirty in some areas. Some areas could not be thoroughly cleaned as they were inappropriately used as storage space.”
“On one ward, it was found that inappropriate items were disposed of in the sharp bins and clinical waste bags,” they said. “On another, there were no clinical waste bags and general refuse bags were in use throughout the ward. In another ward, only clinical waste bags were in use.
It is these last comments that interest me most. I have often said that I care little about the deposit of occasional items of non-clinical waste into clinical waste containers since this will rarely cause real problems in disposal. Though others disagree, often vehemently, that clinical waste containers must never be sullied with other items my own concerns are of the clinical waste items that may find their way inappropriately into black bag waste.
A coterie of close supporters of the EA view that placing even a few sweetie wrappers into a clinical waste sack is a heinous crime place great stead in examining the content of clinical waste containers for extraneous items. This is a dangerous task, though I have no doubt that in reality they go no further than lifting a bin lid, even if the bill is for an ostensibly more detailed waste audit!
Far better to look in black bags for items more appropriately disposed as clinical waste. But from either viewpoint, evidence of incorrect waste segregation suggests the possibility of inadequate training and supervision, or deficiencies in the provision and location of waste containers that must be addressed. Unless, that is, all black bags have been removed from clinical areas to ensure no serious errors in segregation that might put ancillary workers and others at risk. It's a good idea, and is inherently safe. Little else really matters.
Read the report at http://www.nhshealthquality.org/nhsqis/files/HEI_LREP_GRAM_ARI_NOV09.pdf