Hiqa inspections identify hygiene issues in two hospitals

Staff in some parts of Cork University Hospital had to increase their level of hand hygiene following a health watchdog inspection, which also raised concerns over hygiene levels in sections of University Hospital Limerick.

Parts of both hospitals were the subject of separate, unannounced checks by the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) in November and again in January.

At University Hospital Limerick, a number of “immediate high-risk findings were identified on Ward 1D” in the November inspection, while “another immediate high risk was identified on Ward 4A during the January re-inspection”, although this was immediately addressed.

The report said: “Environmental hygiene on Ward 1D was noted to be particularly poor during the November inspection, with widespread unacceptable levels of dust observed in patient areas, sanitary facilities, storage facilities, and the linen storeroom.”

There were also deficits in the management of environmental hygiene in sanitary facilities “which was of particular concern given the high demand placed on these facilities”. Hiqa also found “unacceptable levels of dust” identified through regional audits conducted by a team of representatives of the UL Hospital Group.

The report also highlighted how a patient had covered a crack in a window on the 17-bed Ward 1D with newspaper and tape.

However, Hiqa said there had been “significant improvements” in many areas by January.

As for hand hygiene compliance observed by Hiqa on Ward 1D, 62% of staff attended hand hygiene training up to the November 2014 inspection. According to the report: “It was explained to the authority that ebola virus disease training, being undertaken as a response to the outbreak of ebola in Africa in 2014, had impacted on the hospital’s hand hygiene training programme,” as it had become a priority for the health services.

“While the hospital’s hand hygiene training would have normally been completed by the time of the inspection, this could not have been achieved due to these other training requirements,” the report said. By reinspection compliance had increased to 70%.

The Hiqa inspection of parts of CUH also raised concerns, with inspectors noting: “Hand hygiene compliance observed by the authority in the recovery area in theatre during the November inspection was poor with only 33% of the opportunities being taken.”

Measures were introduced following the November inspection to improve compliance, which had increased to 80% by the January inspection.

The CUH report also noted “inappropriate cleaning practices performed by staff involved in the management of patients” in part of one ward and instances of the inappropriate use of personal protective equipment such as gloves in November.

However, improvements were noted in January.