A CHILDREN'S hospital has been told to carry out a risk assessment after inspectors raised concerns over the disposal of dirty water.

A report by the Healthcare Environment Inspectorate issued two requirements for the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh.

It follows an unannounced inspection on August 6 when inspectors highlighted problems with the disposal of large volumes of water used in bed or baby baths and nappy changes. They said the design of the building meant the water was being flushed down hand basins instead of in a sluice.

Inspectors called for a risk assessment into the practice. They also demanded staff implement a daily bed space checklist to ensure patient equipment was clean and ready to use.

Susan Brimelow, HEI chief inspector, said "We noted good compliance with the national dress code policy and there was satisfactory compliance with most standard infection control precautions.

"However, we also identified a number of areas for improvement... We expect NHS Lothian to address these issues."

Melanie Hornett, director of unscheduled care, NHS Lothian, said: "There were four areas the inspectors said could be improved on and these have been addressed."