HEALTHCARE & HOSPITAL HYGIENE
Climbing Frames
The lack of consistency within individual countries in hospital cleaning remains a barrier to improving standards. Katie Pett, Health Sector Marketing Manager for Diversey Care, explains how an agreed framework is the only answer.
In most hospitals, the fl oors form a large proportion of the area being cleaned, yet represent a relatively low risk when it comes to the spread of infections. It is far more important to focus attention on frequent touch surfaces such as door knobs, light switches, bedside tables, bed frames and equipment, because these are the areas where infections can linger and spread the easiest. Regular and frequent cleaning of these “hot spots” is one of the most signifi cant ways to prevent the spread of infections.
Approaches to these challenges differ in countries around Europe even if the desired result is the same; in the Netherlands, for example, housekeepers typically use conventional cleaning products with the aim of removing all sources of contamination, although disinfectants are still used for some processes. The opposite tends to be the case in Germany and France, where the emphasis is more on disinfection. Many institutions in the UK take a “belt and braces” approach, using combined cleaner- disinfectants for daily cleaning – the logic being that while the cleaner will remove the contamination, the disinfectant will kill any remaining pathogens. This has the added benefi t of simplifying the process, as
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one product is used instead of two which can reduce training, labour and supply chain costs.
Until recently, the disinfectants of choice in many countries have been chlorine- or quat-based, and these are still widely used when outbreaks occur. However, new formulations containing hydrogen peroxide as the active ingredient have recently been developed, and are increasingly popular in Nordic countries amongst others, offering new capabilities as they're suitable for many fabrics as well as hard surfaces. Plus, they are effective against a wide range of pathogens while remaining completely safe to use. Products like this are available in the UK, but have not yet been widely adopted by the NHS.
No one way is right; cultural, historical and political factors can all lead to differences in approach in each country. Hospitals must choose the processes and products that are right for their unique circumstances, but reputable suppliers such as Diversey Care will be able to provide advice on the right products, tools and equipment to support the processes needed to achieve the best and most cost- effective results – so much the better if they have a wide range of products supported with verifi ed data to back up
any infection prevention claims.
However, no matter how good the product or process, it will make little difference if it is not used correctly. In practice, gaps in cleaning compliance often arise when staff don't appreciate their responsibilities or don't know of the most suitable products and how they should be applied. Sadly, there is little consistency across geographies or even within individual countries, leading to variations in outcomes.
To achieve greater consistency and make incremental improvements in standards, hospitals ideally need a framework that helps them devise, verify and validate their cleaning processes and staff training, with the requisite level of detail to benchmark and measure performance and compliance. Only then can decisions be evidence based and processes developed that support and deliver the desired objectives, and cleaning companies can help with this, by providing the knowledge, support and technical expertise based on their experience with different customers in different countries.
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