THE magnificent new hotel, sorry, hospital in Govan on the south side of Glasgow that has recently admitted its first patient almost makes me wish I could be admitted myself for a minor procedure.
However I have a couple of issues about it that worry me.
I see from the South Glasgow University Hospital website that there are 1,109 patient rooms in the adult hospital, each with a private shower and toilet, and 244 paediatric beds in the children's hospital most of which are in private rooms. The reason for so many private rooms is, I gather, mainly to try to combat hospital acquired infections. But well over 1,000 showers, toilets etc.will need cleaned and I wonder how many domestic staff are employed and if they will have time to do a thorough job?
I have no wish to rewind the clock, but at one time most wards had their own domestic staff responsible to the ward manager rather than an outside company and didn't have to rush around trying to clean several wards or departments.
Secondly, if I was in hospital I would prefer to be able to talk to other patients or at least be able to share the same room if I was combined to bed, and don't know anyone who would prefer the isolation. If staff have the time to clean all areas and surfaces of the ward cross-transmission of infection isn't such a problem. Most hospitals seem to have a mixture of two to four-patient sections in their wards with some single rooms for when isolation is necessary, and I hope future buildings continue to go down that road.
William Campbell,
59 Woodhead Avenue,
Kirkintilloch.
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