HEATLHCARE HYGIENE A matter of emergency


Waiting times in Ireland’s hospital Accident & Emergency (A&E) departments can often exceed 12 hours. How can healthcare facilities keep these environments clean and hygienic to avoid the spread of viruses and infections among patients and visitors? Essity’s Liam Smith looks at the types of cleaning regimes and washroom products that can help to improve safety in the chaotic A&E environment.


The whole point of an A&E department is that it should allow healthcare staff to make a quick assessment of urgent medical cases – and then treat them promptly. However, waiting times in emergency rooms are lengthening all the time. Waits of between 12 and 24 hours are becoming standard practice in some high-volume hospitals in cities such as Dublin, Limerick and Cork.


In Northern Ireland, too, only around half of all patients visiting A&E are seen, discharged or admitted within the NHS’s four-hour target window, with waits of 12 hours-plus being common here as well.


The emergency room situation is particularly difficult in Ireland because the country has fewer acute hospital beds per capita than most other European nations. The fact that Ireland has one of the most youthful population profiles in the EU means that bed capacity has been planned around younger people who typically require shorter hospital stays and lower levels of medical care.


A&E departments are struggling globally due to a general lack of funding and chronic staff shortages. Many healthcare workers left the profession after the COVID-19 pandemic – and medical institutions are finding it hard to replace them.


So, anyone who heads to an emergency room today needs to prepare themselves for a lengthy wait. The longer they remain in the waiting room, the greater their chance of passing on any viruses or infections they happen to be harbouring.


After several hours spent waiting to be seen, people tend to become restless. They will be less inclined to stay in their seats: instead, they will be prowling around, seeking out the nearest café or vending machine and approaching the reception desk for regular updates.


They will also be paying periodic visits to the washrooms. In the vulnerable and volatile A&E department setting, great care therefore needs to be taken to ensure that these facilities are clean, safe, hygienic and easy to use.


Automatic taps and flush systems in the washrooms will help to limit the cross-contamination risk, for example, while all dispensers should be designed to ensure that each visitor only comes into contact with the sheet of paper or shot of soap they use.


Supplies of toilet tissue, soaps and hand towels are likely to dwindle fast in A&E washrooms – particularly where patients are suffering from stomach bugs or using paper to staunch their wounds. Hospital managers therefore need to ensure that the washroom dispensers are kept well stocked at all times to encourage good hand hygiene.


10 | TOMORROW'S CLEANING IRELAND


High-capacity systems which naturally reduce consumption will prevent the issue of products running out between maintenance checks. The long-lasting Tork Foam Soap system works well because the dispenser serves up to 1,650 visitors between refills to ensure a continuous supply. The sealed cartridge can be replaced in seconds for ease of maintenance, and the system requires a low push force which makes it particularly easy to use, even for frail and elderly patients and for those with low hand strength.


Paper towels are usually provided in healthcare washrooms because they're a hygienic option and will dry the hands rapidly. Since each washroom visitor can take a towel and move on, such systems allow for a quick throughput of washroom visitors, which helps to prevent overcrowding in an environment where infections and viruses will be rife.


Again, a high-capacity hand towel system will reduce the risk of products running out during busy periods. The Tork PeakServe Continuous Hand Towel Dispenser, for example, caters for more than 1,000 visitors between refills and delivers each towel in just three seconds, reducing waiting times. The dispenser has been designed to give out sheets of paper singly to avoid excess use and run-outs.


Toilet paper systems in an A&E washroom should also be designed to maximise hygiene and prevent run-outs. For example, the Tork SmartOne dispenser gives out only one sheet of paper at a time while the hygienically-encased paper is extracted via a nozzle at the front. This removes the need for users to put their hand inside the dispenser to search for the end of the roll, an action which could contaminate their hands and compromise hygiene.


Digital technology can further help to ensure that cleaning needs in A&E are met and that washroom dispensers are kept topped up with hand hygiene products at all times. Tork Vision Cleaning – already widely used in offices and other public buildings – is becoming increasingly popular in hospitals where it is helping to improve cleaning efficiency.


Tork Vision Cleaning uses people-counters and connected dispensers to provide real-time data on cleaning requirements. This allows healthcare teams to stay ahead of the game and use a smartphone, tablet or computer to remotely check on which dispensers are running low and which washroom cubicles are receiving high levels of traffic. They can then anticipate situations in which enhanced cleaning or extra checks might be required.


Cleaning in A&E – as in any hospital department – needs to be carried out carefully and methodically to minimise the risk of cross-contamination. Plus, the washrooms need to be cleaned continuously and scrupulously at all times.


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