Today’s alarming report on the Dr Foster Hospital Guide about our under performing 
NHS trusts – based on a range of indicators including death rates, infection rates and staffing levels – reminded me of something worrying I learnt at the Infection 2009 conference earlier this month.
Dr Peter Wilson, consultant microbiologist at University College London Hospital, told me that because of insurance reasons, cleaners 
were only allowed to clean walls, floors and tables in the wards. Nurses were expected to clean everything else which had been in contact with the patient, and often in their own time, which naturally they were reluctant to do.
“Take the case note trolleys, they are never cleaned,” he said.
“We need to change the way our hospital cleaners work in the UK. We need a new breed of cleaner, one who is trained to clean all high contact surfaces immediately around the patient.
“It’s because of the insurance culture, in case somebody presses a wrong button, but they could be trained to learn about this. We need somebody to take up the banner.”
I met a trainee nurse at a party last night who told me their ward sister told them not to clean anything in the ward, that it was down to the cleaner. However, the cleaner has a different brief, and this demonstrates a clear lack of joined up thinking which has potentially serious repercussions. The issue cannot be left if hospitals have to clean up its act. Surely this is more important than pushing for our nurses to be trained to degree level, when we are not getting the basics right.
Let’s hope Shadow Health Secretary Andrew Lansley will take up the banner. It clearly makes sense to have fully trained cleaners who can effectively do a job which the public expects of them so nurses can be left to do the job they are trained for.
Goodness! No wonder everyone is getting nasty infections in hospital.
Hi Elle! dunno if you remember me..but yeah interesting article. How does one quantify care? Dirty sheets or treated patients?
Two of my friends told my of how blood remained on the floor for several days whilst they were in hospital. When my Mum was in hospital a couple of weeks ago, I found the standard of hygiene on the ward even worse than usual.
Is that because they are contract cleaners and only work certain hours. If something is in the way when they are supposed to be cleaning they don’t come back?
yeah// I agree with this lines
“We need to change the way our hospital cleaners work in the UK. We need a new breed of cleaner, one who is trained to clean all high contact surfaces immediately around the patient.”
I remember, as a student nurse in the 1980s, if you had a rare moment of spare time it was time to do some cleaning. Also, when a bed became empty, you cleaned the mattress, head and base thoroughly. When I got my registration and first job, I worked with a bloke who said he hadn’t trained for three years to make beds. I believe he got a bawling-out.