Harney sets hospitals new hygiene target as audit reveals improvements

EVERY single hospital in the country should soon be achieving a hygiene score of at least 85%, Tánaiste and Health Minister Mary Harney declared yesterday.

A second national audit of 53 hospitals, published in July, found 32 hospitals received a good rating, compared to five in the first audit. The report rated 19 hospitals as fair, compared to 23 in the first audit and two were considered poor, compared to 26 in the first.

“I expect in a short time that every single hospital will meet a minimum standard of 85%, which is regarded as a good score,” Ms Harney declared at the presentation of awards to St Luke’s Hospital in Dublin and Mallow General Hospital in Cork and the Midlands Hospital in Mullingar yesterday.