‘Back to basics’ hygiene the key to success

THE director of Nursing at Mallow General Hospital yesterday attributed the success of the hospital in the HSE audit to “back to basics” hygiene, the diligence of staff and in-service training.

Mary Owens, who has specific responsibility for hygiene at the hospital, was “absolutely delighted with the result and very proud” of being declared the cleanest hospital in the country.

The hospital, built in 1935, had been inundated with calls of congratulation throughout the day from former patients, GPs and the local community.

“I am overwhelmed and humbled by the number of people wishing us well. But, of course, the community of North Cork has always been very supportive of the hospital,” she said.

She said the achievement was a reflection of the high standard of care provided across all areas of the hospital, achieved without the benefit of an in-house microbiologist or infection control specialist.

“Back to basics policies and procedures are very important. Our cleaning policies based on best practice and management play a vital role as well. Our staff are excellent and very committed. We do not have contract cleaners and our cleaning staff are extremely diligent and very committed to the hospital. I think that their contribution is vital to maintaining high standards of hygiene and patient care,” she explained.

She said a key element of their success was having proper procedures in place.

“I know they are now going to introduce national policies and procedures and that is a very good thing, but we have always had our own procedures and, in many areas, our standards are stricter than the national ones.”

Acknowledging the support they get from the microbiology and infection control team at Cork University Hospital, Ms Owens added that much could be done with sparse resources, even in situations where overcrowding occurred.

“Overcrowding can, of course, complicate the situation and it is true to say it is very difficult to maintain high standards when there is overcrowding. However, we often have that situation here in Mallow and our resources are minimal. You can still achieve a lot with limited resources.”

This is borne out by the HSE audit which found that of the 10 cleanest hospitals in the audit, seven had bed occupancy in excess of 85%, five of the 10 used contract cleaners and three had no microbiologist on site.

Ms Owens said that in light of the increasing prevalence of superbugs, particular MRSA, the hospital had reviewed its cleaning policies and protocols.

“We do that annually. We have also stepped up training to ensure basic hygiene is carried out properly. Proper hand washing would probably be the most important preventative measure in combating the transfer of MRSA. I have identified areas in the audit where we can improve further. We are not perfect and there is always room for improvement.”

While the audit did not deal with the link between poor hygiene and MRSA and other hospital infections, the results, which show that 91% of our hospitals have unacceptable hygiene standards, will provide no comfort to those worried about the spread of hospital-acquired infection.

Ms Owens said directors of nursing had a key role to play in the maintenance of strict hygiene standards.

“I see hygiene as a natural part of nursing. Cleanliness at the hospital is in my job description and I have the responsibility for it. After all, it is about patient care at the end of the day.”