Rapid Response Cleaning Teams will continue their work

Ashford and St. Peter’s Hospitals has completed the deep cleaning of wards and major clinical areas and is now on a rolling programme of deep cleans across all other clinical areas.  Deep cleaning Wards and areas such as day surgery and operating theatres has involved:

·          Decanting patients and equipment out of the area;

·          Remedial works such as painting, decorating and stripping and sealing or replacement of floor areas;

·          Deep cleaning followed by the use of the new advanced hydrogen peroxide vapour machine technology used for high level disinfection of the environment; 

·          Cleaning equipment and beds; and

·          Returning patients to the area.

The decanting of patients has been achieved both on a whole ward basis and six bedded bay by bay basis with minimal disruption to the running of the hospitals.   William Britton, Hotel Services Manager at Ashford and St. Peter’s Hospitals says: “We’re really grateful to all staff and patients who have co-operated with the deep clean programme and to our cleaning teams who have worked additional hours.   But this is not the end.   Before the Department of Health announced it was funding a nationwide deep clean we introduced our Rapid Response Cleaning Team to undertake deep cleans and their work will continue beyond March 31st.   We believe that deep cleaning is an essential part of keeping our hospitals clean and fighting ‘superbugs’ such as MRSA and C. difficile.”

The Rapid Response Teams at Ashford and St. Peter’s hospitals provide:

·          Rapid response to special cleaning requests, which are often requested when a patient has had a known infection such MRSA and Clostridium difficile (and other 'superbugs').   A quicker response to the request allows ward based Housekeeping staff to concentrate on the day to day ward / clinic cleaning duties.

·          High level cleaning such as light diffusers, electrical fans, wall-washing and cleaning behind radiators and fitments – tasks previously undertaken by a separate department.

·          Deep cleaning including stripping and polishing floors. This is carried out in conjunction with clinical activity to minimise disruption.

The Teams, who have a yellow uniform top, started work on 1st November 2007 and are on calI through a central helpdesk.

Mr Britton continued: “We were allocated £226,000 for the deep clean programme.   We have spent this and more on ensuring that we had sufficient staff and resources to carry out this urgent programme within the timescale set by the Department of Health.   This included bringing in new high level  machines to ‘disinfect areas’, using the relatively new technology of Hydrogen Peroxide Vapour, following the manual deep cleans.  This has involved sealing an area and placing the new machines inside to vapour for several hours.  The money also paid for essential improvements to the ward environment before deep cleaning took place.”

Acting Chief Executive Paul Bentley says: “Since we brought our cleaning programme ‘in house’ in 2006 our spending on cleaning has increased by around £1m reflecting the increased and extensive programme of cleaning that now takes place.  Our total spend on cleaning each year is now around £2×5m.    We have taken strong action in this area and believe that the results speak for themselves.   Many more patients now tell us that they think our hospitals are clean, although we recognise that there is always more we can do.   Visitors to our hospitals can assist us in our fight against superbugs and keeping the hospitals clean by following our Visitor Partnership Guidance.”

Visitor Partnership Guidance for Ashford and St. Peter’s Hospitals states:

·          Do not visit if you are unwell and Use the hand gel every time you enter or leave the ward, bay or cubicle;

·          Do not sit on patients’ beds and do not bring flowers or plants as gifts;

·          Only visit hospital between 2 and 4pm and 6 and 8pm;

·          Children under 10 should not visit the hospital without first speaking to the Nurse in Charge and then all children should be supervised at all times.

The full visitor partnership guidance is available on our website at www.ashfordtstpeters.nhs.uk