GENERAL…
The general standard of cleanliness at the Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital is good, according to a report by the Healthcare Environment Inspectorate.
The inspectors’ report, published today, found that staff at NHS Grampian had made progress in their efforts to protect patients from infection. The hospital was clean, isolation practices and management of patients with known or suspected infection were good and there is a clear understanding of antimicrobial prescribing for paediatric patients.
However the report also identified a number of areas for improvement:
- Hand hygiene and dress code standards must be adhered to rigorously
- A lack of integration across infection prevention and management structures needs to be addressed
- Reporting arrangements between the Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital and the paediatric ward at Dr Gray’s Hospital need to be formalised
- Surveillance data and information on display should be made more meaningful and suit the needs of patients and visitors
- Public awareness should be increased to ensure everyone is involved in infection prevention and control.
Health secretary Nicola Sturgeon said:
“I had made tackling hospital infections my top priority. This report shows that the Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital has adopted a number of good practices, but there are areas where issues have been identified in the past and I would like to see NHS Grampian implement the recommendations to improve these as a matter of urgency.
“We want patients and their families to have the utmost confidence in the cleanliness of our hospitals and the quality of care.”