Are NHS hospitals clean?
Well, they should be. But it is hard to say for certain .. but, yes mainly.
Why does it matter?
A third of hospital infections are preventable with good hygiene and thorough cleaning. There are agreed NHS standards for cleanliness here. But comparative data is lacking.
Hospital Acquired Infections (HAIs) = infections spread by poor hygiene
Hospital acquired infections (HAIs) are used as a surrogate for infection generally and cleanliness. You can see that data on your hospital’s website, and each ward should visible recent data too.
There are several HAIs which can cause medical problems in patients. The most common of these are MRSA and C. Difficile.
MRSA (or Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus) – is a bacterium resistant to some types of antibiotics and found all around the world. This infection is spread through contact with an infected surface and this is one reason why hand hygiene is so vital.
MRSA spreads quickly to other patients and therefore, patients who are found to have MRSA are usually isolated to prevent further spread. Although MRSA doesn’t usually have a negative effect on healthy people, when people are ill or have a long term health condition, they can be severely affected.
Clostridium Difficile, or C. Difficile (or ‘C diff’) – is a bacterium present in the bowel of many people; and around 3% of healthy people carry it without it causing them any problems.
However, in hospital inpatients, these numbers increase to over 35%; with the bacteria causing stomach pain, high temperatures, nausea and diarrhoea. Hand washing is again very important to prevent the spread of this infection.
What we and you can do
Cleanliness is important within hospitals. If you find a bathroom or toilet is not clean please tell a member of staff, so they can make arrangements for them to be cleaned.
Wards are cleaned thoroughly on a daily basis. If you are a inpatient, please help the ward stay as clean as possible, by keeping your locker top, bed table and bed clutter free – so that cleaning can take place regularly.
All our staff should observe ‘universal precautions’ and these include hand washing and using cleansing gel. If you see a member of staff caring for you and not using gel or washing hands, please feel free to ask them to do so.
Visitors
Visitors should also use gel before entering the ward and as they leave, and wear COVID-19 masks if requested. They are still normal on most wards and in outpatients.
Visitors are asked not sit on the patients’ beds as this helps stop the spread of infection. Also if you feel unwell, please do not visit your friend or relative, if they are an inpatient in the hospital.
Summary
It is hard to answer the question ‘are NHS hospitals clean’. This is because comparative data is lacking. Nonetheless, we can all play our part in hygiene and cleanliness.
