Health chiefs are being urged to plough more resources into Renfrewshire’s main hospital after inspectors uncovered a string of hygiene failures. Concerns have been raised that extra investment is needed to support hard-working staff at the Royal Alexandra Hospital.

Several examples of poor practice were noted at the RAH during an unannounced check-up in December.

Healthcare Improvement Scotland’s report found that in some areas, including clinical waste found in insecure bins within a public area.

It is difficult to have any sympathy, when hospitals throughout the UK are happy to leave their clinical waste carts in corridors and walkways, not infrequently creating significant obstruction to transit and escape routes. Elsewhere, carts are pushed out to a utility area that often means the far corners of the hospital car park!

That wastes stored in this way are insecure was another feature central to the Healthcare Improvement Scotland report. Well, if users had access to cart keys, and used them, the situation would improve considerably. Once filled carts are moved to the waste store, it should be protected by a secure fence and locked gate, but that is a rarity. Equally, the industry must do more to ensure that they provide only carts with fully functioning working locks and repair or replace all of the bin locks that are damaged or missing.

If anyone has an idea for a new bulk waste container, perhaps incorporating a much-button combination lock, that is as easy and convenient as the present locks but more robust, tamper-proof and failsafe, please shout out and share your thoughts.