SERIOUS concerns about the cleanliness of a hospital have been raised with the Scottish Government by official hygiene inspectors.
The Healthcare Environment Inspectorate made the unusual move after repeatedly finding dirt and contaminated equipment at Hairmyres Hospital, East Kilbride.
In a damning report they said a significant amount of dust was even discovered in a ward that had been deep-cleaned after patients contracted a vomiting bug.
A private company, ISS, provides cleaning services at the hospital, which was built using a Private Finance Initiative (PFI).
The Inspectorate team made their surprise visit to the Lanarkshire hospital in September.
Their report, released yesterday, says: "We found significant issues with the standard of cleanliness of the patient environment in all the wards and departments inspected."
Dust and grime was found on window ledges, curtain rails, behind patient beds, in shower drains and around floor edges. Numerous items of equipment were contaminated with blood and bodily fluids, including resuscitation trolleys, bed and hand rails and three commodes that had been tagged as clean.
Schedules had been signed and dated to show areas had been cleaned, yet the inspectors said they were in an unsatisfactory state. Ward 19 had been thoroughly washed five days earlier following a bug outbreak, and the job signed off by three senior staff, yet the inspectors say: "The dust we found in this ward was significantly more than would be expected to gather in five days ..."
The inspectors demanded immediate action. However, despite a staff meeting and the production of an improvement plan, the inspectors returned unannounced in early October and again found dirt, including faecal contamination on a nurse call bell beside a toilet.
Susan Brimelow, chief inspector for the Healthcare Environment Inspectorate, said she was extremely disappointed. "Due to the serious nature of our findings, I escalated my concerns to Scottish Government," she said. "We will continue to inspect Hairmyres Hospital to ensure improvements are made because every patient coming into hospital should expect their local hospital to be safe and clean."
It is not the first time concern has been raised about practices in NHS Lanarkshire, the health board that oversees Hairmyres. Last year a Scottish Government support team was sent in after high death rates at Monklands Hospital sparked an investigation. The probe also uncovered a number of issues at Hairmyres, including staffing shortages.
The Inspectorate report notes the post of infection control manager for NHS Lanarkshire has been vacant since May and that the equivalent of eight full-time staff were recruited to housekeeping after their first Hairmyres visit.
Ian Ross, chief executive of NHS Lanarkshire, said: "We are sorry we fell below our own high standards of cleanliness of patient equipment and the environment at Hairmyres Hospital."
He added: "I want to reassure patients and visitors we have made substantial improvements at Hairmyres following the HEI visits."
Scottish Health Secretary Alex Neil said: "This inspection report reveals unacceptable standards in Hairmyres Hospital. I have been clear NHS Lanarkshire must address the issues highlighted and ensure the failures of the PFI provider in relation to cleaning standards specified in the contract are addressed as a priority."
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