HEALTHCARE & HOSPITAL FACILITIES
SAFETY IN A&E
Essity’s Liam Mynes looks at the types of cleaning regimes and washroom products that can help to improve safety in the crowded and chaotic A&E environment.
The A&E department of any hospital is inevitably at the sharp end of healthcare. This is where people go when they experience a deep cut or a broken bone. It is where ambulances take victims of car accidents, fi res, strokes, heart attacks and other traumatic health episodes.
So, it is impossible for A&E staff members to know exactly how many patients they might see in any one shift, nor how serious their condition is likely to be. COVID-19 has only added to this uncertainty.
Some A&E departments have closed down or amalgamated with other units during the pandemic to make way for Coronavirus patients. Attendance fi gures in those facilities that have remained open have fallen dramatically over the past 12 months. This is due to various factors including the lower levels of road traffi c, the closure of hospitality venues and a general feeling of nervousness about catching COVID-19 from fellow patients.
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In fact, the total number of A&E attendances in January 2021 was 38% down on the same month in 2020. Theoretically this should have relieved pressure on the service, but infection prevention procedures and COVID-19 testing requirements conspired to actually slow down the process. As a result, only 78% of patients were seen within a four-hour window this January compared with nearly 82% in January 2020.
A long wait for emergency treatment inevitably poses risks. A&E department are chaotic places where tempers quickly fray, particularly when patients are under the infl uence of alcohol or drugs. Angry people are diffi cult to control and may be tempted to ignore social distancing guidelines.
Patients are also likely to come into contact with a range of surfaces during their wait including doors, tables, chairs and vending machines. Many will use the washroom to freshen up, wash their hands or take time out from the
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