Sheffield Community Health shamed on hygiene

[angle20 10]

A contribution on BBC's 'Have your say':

 

Having nursed for over 20 years.

1. Bed occupancy must be reduced. You cant get a patient out at 9am and admit another at 9.10 and expect clean and hygienic conditions.

2. Reduce visiting back to the old days. Max of 2 visitors, 2 hours only per day. No children under 12 except in exceptional circumstances.

3. Bring back the ward cleaner who belongs to the ward and is a total part of the team.making sure that the ward sister is in charge of the cleaning staff with the power to hire and fire.

 

[Ned Ludd 10]

I think this sums up the situation, a quote made in response to the latest figures on deaths resulting fron C. Difficile infections:

Head of health at Unison, Karen Jennings, said: "These shocking figures show that MRSA and C difficile have a deadly grip on our NHS. Dirt is not cheap.

 

"We need to wage war on these superbugs and cleaning and cleaners should be on the front line as an integral part of the infection control team.

 

"No one wants to be treated in a dirty hospital but sadly the culture of cleaning was sold off at the same time as compulsory competitive tendering was brought in.

 

"It's time for hospitals to set safe minimum staffing levels for their cleaning services - patients and staff deserve nothing less."

[BlackVelvet 10]

I think this sums up the situation, a quote made in response to the latest figures on deaths resulting fron C. Difficile infections:

Head of health at Unison, Karen Jennings, said: "These shocking figures show that MRSA and C difficile have a deadly grip on our NHS. Dirt is not cheap.

 

"We need to wage war on these superbugs and cleaning and cleaners should be on the front line as an integral part of the infection control team.

 

"No one wants to be treated in a dirty hospital but sadly the culture of cleaning was sold off at the same time as compulsory competitive tendering was brought in.

 

"It's time for hospitals to set safe minimum staffing levels for their cleaning services - patients and staff deserve nothing less."

 

a great statement, but no matter how you try to dress it up; too much demand and not enough funding are never going to achieve that statements aims.

[BlackVelvet 10]

Can you explain what that actually means please? Are the hospitals in fact hygienic?

 

i think the point this poster was making is that the original quoted report actually covers Primary care trusts, not the NHS trusts (hospitals).

Are The hospitals hygienic??? I would suggest, if you put a lot of sick people together in a small space under one roof, do you think that is Hygienic, or easy to keep hygienic?. Short answer is, its never going to be achieved until ALL staff, ALL patients and ALL visitors play 100% by the rules. Staff should be washing their hands, but then again, spend 30mins in the patients toilets and see how many patients actually do (or bother to pull the flush for that matter) and all visitors should also be cleaning their hands, not sitting on the patients bed or chair etc, again, you only have to watch for a while to see the truth.

 

Primary care trusts: Covers GP pactices, other community practices, Community staff (nurses, midwives etc) and funds certain other services in some areas. If these are not meeting the standard, they can only be held accountable for so much of the problem here. Using community nurses as an example; If they are dirty, chances are that is YOUR fault. they can come to work in a clean uniform and go on to visit houses which maybe are not quite as clean. It was already determined from a previous thread, that most smokers here would smoke while communtiy NHS staff were in the house.....So you can hardly expect them to be spotless can you? Be afraid, be very afraid, because if in fact they are not meeting hygiene standards, they are bringing that directly to your house.

[Becky B 31]

Can you explain what that actually means please? Are the hospitals in fact hygienic?

 

I think it's been pointed out that it was the PCT named in the report that started this thread off, which deals with doctors, dentists, pharmacies etc.

Everyone suddenly started slating the hospitals, and I just wanted to get the facts straight.

I didn't comment on the hygiene of the hospitals

I met someone today who enjoyied his stay in the RHH so much he wants to book a holiday there! I think there are some people just want to pick something to moan about wherever they go, judging by this thread and many others on the forum...

[anabella 10]

Gosh, poor hospitals,let's slag them off again.....

Let's sort some things out.

Matrons HAVE been re-instated,but like the good old NHS is these days, they seldom see a patient.They are simply another tier of managers.

The foundation trust ( NGH,RHH Weston Park) is saving money, and domestic services has taken a hit. The poor domestics,who do an amazing job are run off their feet.

Cleanliness would be easier to achieve if vistors adhered to the code. No kids. 2 to a bed , do not sit on patients chairs or beds.

Yesterday, a rabble of a family, 2 kids 4 adults, sitting on bed, dropped food all over floor, used the patients toilet and pinching the patients tea!!!!

When I asked them to stop all of the aboveI was met with abuse,and called hitler!

It is a never ending task, always unrewarded.

Anyway-it was not the foundation trust so leave em alone for a while!

[DIVA 10]

Gosh, poor hospitals,let's slag them off again.....

Let's sort some things out.

Matrons HAVE been re-instated,but like the good old NHS is these days, they seldom see a patient.They are simply another tier of managers.

The foundation trust ( NGH,RHH Weston Park) is saving money, and domestic services has taken a hit. The poor domestics,who do an amazing job are run off their feet.

Cleanliness would be easier to achieve if vistors adhered to the code. No kids. 2 to a bed , do not sit on patients chairs or beds.

Yesterday, a rabble of a family, 2 kids 4 adults, sitting on bed, dropped food all over floor, used the patients toilet and pinching the patients tea!!!!

When I asked them to stop all of the aboveI was met with abuse,and called hitler!

It is a never ending task, always unrewarded.

Anyway-it was not the foundation trust so leave em alone for a while!

 

Where does the code say no kids? I thought it said kids at the nurse in charge's discretion? - don't you think ill people have a right to see their own kids? - and kids have a right to see their parents? as long as there's no obvious danger to them both - gee the family you mentioned may be right!

[Betty1 10]

Can we get back to the thread title - Community Trust issues please?

[BlackVelvet 10]

I think a hospital is the LAST place I would want to take my kids, i mean, all those sick folk. how do you know the bloke in the next bed dont have Hepatitis, or TB for example? and you want to expose your kids to it? (I exclude HIV, as these patients are often barrier nursed for their OWN protection, I mean, all those snotty-nosed kids speading germs around folk with a compromised immune system!)

 

community trust issues: all I would say is I go to work clean and hygenic, but i sure as hell never come home in my uniform. Christ knows what its crawling with by the end of my shift and im not taking that home to my family

[Betty1 10]

Pleased to see the title has been corrected - thanks mods !

[Ms Macbeth 73]

Pleased to see the title has been corrected - thanks mods !

 

Happy to oblige Betty1.

[anabella 10]

Where does the code say no kids? I thought it said kids at the nurse in charge's discretion? - don't you think ill people have a right to see their own kids? - and kids have a right to see their parents? as long as there's no obvious danger to them both - gee the family you mentioned may be right!

 

I didn't elaborate on the code, as we were already way off topic, but as you have made a point I will clarify mine. The code says children are allowed at the discretion of the ward manager.Not the nurse in charge, who could be a staff nurse. This family chose to ignore any of the code. I was not asked if the kids could come on the ward.

The patient in the bed opposite was dying, and I'm sure his family did not need noisy kids around.

Hospitals are a dangerous place for kids, sharps, infection, medical equipment etc.

If you have kids and are a patient, I have no problem with the kids and the patient sitting in the dayroom together, but definitely not running around.So if you think I am a hitler, it doesn't bother me, as at the very least I am trying to provide the best for all my patients, including the ones without kids.

So, let's hope if you come in with kids, you don't meet hitler!