Unannounced hospital inspections will continue - McGimpsey

Health Minister, Michael McGimpsey said that he will be taking further action to tackle poor standards of cleanliness and hygiene in hospitals.

Five unannounced hospital hygiene reports were published today by the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority, which overall showed marked improvements in hand hygiene practice, but highlighted areas where compliance had not been achieved. All five hospitals have produced action plans to address the recommendations.

The Minister said that he would shortly be announcing further measures to ensure that Trusts make environmental cleanliness and infection control a priority.

Mr McGimpsey said: "Unannounced hospital inspections were part of a major £9million investment I announced aimed at making our hospitals safer and cleaner. These inspections give a snapshot of the cleanliness and hygiene standards in a clinical area on a particular day. They have an important role in identifying good practice and driving up standards.

"While I am disappointed that a number of hospitals have not met the necessary standards, I am greatly encouraged that there have been noticeable improvements in hand hygiene compared to the last round of inspections and there is evidence of good clinical practice across our hospitals. Trusts have focused on reducing infections which is clearly starting to work.

"All five Trusts have produced action plans to show how they intend to deal with the issues raised. I am pleased to note that, to date, around 70% of the recommendations have been implemented and work continues to address the outstanding issues.

"I will be ensuring that the Department takes a strong lead on driving up standards across our hospitals. I have also asked the RQIA to make further unannounced inspections to these hospitals over the coming months to ensure that they are maintaining high standards of hygiene and cleanliness."

Turning to the issue of environmental cleanliness, the Minister said the inspections identified areas which needed to be addressed.

He continued: "A major part of this is a result of the age and condition of our hospitals. It is very difficult to maintain high standards of cleanliness in a facility which is 60 years old and requires major refurbishment or replacement. I have said many times that I have only half the capital budget I need to address this issue.

"The RQIA has stressed that our hospitals are safe but could do better in relation to driving up levels of cleanliness. I want to acknowledge the hard work and efforts of all health and social care staff to deliver high quality care to patients. Nevertheless, the public must have confidence in the care and standards provided by our hospitals and it is essential that this high quality care is delivered in a facility which is clean and tidy.

"I am determined to make this happen and I will ensure that all Trusts are making cleaner, safer hospitals a top priority."

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