Hospital cleanliness

[skyep]

What are your experiences? I had an appointment last Monday. Went to the patients toilet & was really surprised at how unclean the room was! The bin was overflowing, the floor had not been scrubbed for a long time! I reported it to a nurse.

[Eve]

That's awful :( Both my nans contracted MRSA in different hospitals (Abergavenny and Oswestry).

I was at the rhumatology research unit at MRI today, it was spotless though in a very new building. Radiology in the older bit wasn't too bad.

[gelda]

When my husband was dying in intensive care 2 years ago the cleaner came in with a Jcloth and wiped over the sink, the windowsill, the table where dressings and medication were prepared and his bedside cabinet in fact every surface in the room, all with the same cloth without washing the cloth in between. I should have complained really when I look back on it but I was too traumatised with watching my husband dying. This was the Royal Surrey again. I think the NHS should employ their own cleaners and bring back matrons who used to check the wards every day.

[campbellking]

I'm going to speak out in our cleaners defence. I work in a hospital which it employs its own cleaning staff (no agency), 2 of whom have won National awards for their cleaning. In fact, I spend more time reassuring patients that I am mobilising that they are not going to slip on the 'shiny' floors.

[naomi24]

campbell, is that an NHS hospital?

[campbellking]

It is indeed an NHS hospital.

[naomi24]

Campbell, wonderful! I wish all hospitals employed their own cleaners - especially those in which surgical procedures are carried out.

[naomi24]

Gelda, when my husband went into hospital, I saw similar procedures carried out. One cloth for everything, including the lamp shades and the food tray which fits across the bed. I bought special wipes that are guaranteed to kill MRSA, and I wiped absolutely everything surrounding my husband. I also bought him hand wipes guaranteed to kill MRSA so that he didn't have to touch door handles, etc. It didn't do any good though - he caught MRSA in the operating theatre.

I feel so very sorry for you Gelda. What a rough time you've had. I wish you well. x

[bigmamma]

Last time I was in I saw the same practise of how the staff take pillows , cot sides , and drip stands from occupied beds and straight onto another bed without cleaning !

[skyep]

campbelking - I really don't want to be negative about our health service, we have a lot to be grateful for & it's encouraging to know 'your' hospital is obviously doing it right! But it's obvious there's a lot of room for improvement. May be we all need to complain a lot more. I feel sorry for everyone on here who has had a bad experience.

[shellywelly]

When I had my son by emergency c-section 3 years ago I was on the ward for four days. Not once did they clean the ward or change my sheets. One day I went to the toilet on the ward and I noticed that there was blood and pooh on the toilet and the floor. I immediatly went and told a nurse and it took 2 days for the cleaners to come and clean it up. It was absolutely disgusting.