HSE to set up hygiene audit of health services

THE Health Services Executive (HSE) is to appoint consultants to carry out the first national independent hygiene audit of the health services.

The latest initiative to improve ward cleanliness and create safer hospitals comes in the wake of a damning report published last month which found overcrowding increased the risk of injuries due to slips, trips and falls; contributed towards aggression/violence from frustrated patients and may also lead to an increased risk of infection. The report by the Health and Safety Authority (HSA), following its inspection of 11 acute hospitals, highlighted the potential for fire evacuation to be compromised and the risk of stress to staff.

A section dealing with chemical and biological agents found evidence of a “lack of spill control policy and procedures” and “staff non-compliance with chemical waste policy” in some hospitals. A separate inspection of all 39 A&E units by the HSE drew the same conclusions as the HSA. It is against this background and increased rates of hospital-acquired infection such as MRSA, as well as complaints by patients about blood, vomit and other body fluids in casualty departments, that the HSE launched its latest initiative.