CLEANING & INFECTION CONTROL


is hygiene. Effective prevention of infection and cleanliness must be part of everyday practice within the healthcare sector and should be consistently applied by everyone.


The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that 300,000 patients within the UK are affected by HCAIs, costing around £1billion per year. With standards of cleanliness in hospitals and health centres under constant scrutiny, healthcare managers are now faced with addressing the issues alongside crippling budget cuts.


The duty to minimise the risk of infection throughout these premises is posing a huge burden on resources of the healthcare service, even more so when funding cuts are applied. There are several measures that healthcare facilities can put in place to protect patients and staff from infection, including staff training, guidance on hand hygiene and, on a larger scale, improved environmental cleaning.


The common human pathogens, such as Methicillin-Resistant- Staphylococcus-Aureus (MRSA), Clostridium difficile, and noroviruses, can survive for prolonged periods of time on surfaces. The majority of these infections are preventable, particularly through keeping the environment clean and by using well-designed infection control methods. Micro-organisms that could cause disease are known to survive on inanimate ‘touch’ surfaces for extended periods of time. For example, on bed rails; over-the- bed trays; call and patient control buttons; bathroom hardware.


Extensive Training It is essential for this type of environment to be cleaned by specialist staff who are trained to comply with NHS and private guidelines on cleaning in healthcare environments. Responsible contract cleaning providers need to have an excellent knowledge of the regulations and train staff to comply with


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these regulations in order to allow healthcare professionals to focus on delivering excellent patient care.


The Revised Healthcare Cleaning Manual (2009) provides guidance on cleaning techniques and best practice advice on defining responsibilities, scheduling work, measuring outcomes and reporting and driving continuous improvements. The regulations are supported by the Code of Practice for the NHS on the Prevention and Control of Healthcare Associated Infections and Related Guidance. Responsible contract cleaning providers for care environments need to have an excellent knowledge of the regulations and train staff to comply with these guidelines. These guidelines will normally form the basis of any policies implemented in individual or private clinics or care facilities.


The frequency, method and monitoring of cleaning must take into account the level of potential risk to patient safety posed by infections. Very high risk areas, such as operating theatres and intensive care facilities, require a thorough cleaning service, with specialist equipment and chemicals, operated by a dedicated team.


Disposable products are recommended to prevent cross-contamination in isolation units for example. These include gloves, aprons, and mop


heads. There is a national colour- coding system in place within the NHS for hospital cleaning materials and equipment. This system ensures that these items are not used in multiple areas, so reducing the risk of cross infection. The system should be followed at all times by cleaning staff.


Indepth Managed Services (IDMS) have developed a reputation for having reliable expert cleaners in this environment, from single cleaner sites to full healthcare estates facilities management. We have built this reputation and expertise in the care sector over a number of years. We now have a dedicated Healthcare Cleaning Division which focuses on hospitals, dental surgeries, dialysis centres, nursing and care homes, providing cleaning solutions and soft services tailored to sensitive healthcare facilities.


Specialist Cleaning:


Care in Action IDMS were awarded the cleaning and maintenance contract for Eagle Bridge Health and Wellbeing Centre in Crewe, by Central and Eastern Cheshire Primary Care Trust, when the Centre opened.


The £10million facility was developed in line with government policy for large-scale modern primary care centres. It accommodates the 36,000 patients of 22 GPs and serves a further 400,000 residents with services that include dental, physiotherapy, ultrasound and x-rays, speech therapy and podiatry, previously only available in the local hospital. Within a facility of this size, it is essential for Indepth to have a full team of cleaning staff present throughout the site at all times. As part of the contract their role is to minimise the spread of infection through intensive deep cleaning service solutions, whilst having minimal impact upon the day-to-day running of the healthcare facility.


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