By Healthcare Facilities Today

Bristol Children’s Hospital was ordered to improve cleanliness after an inspection by health watchdog The Care Quality Commission (CQC) found that poor standards of hygiene in the operating department were increasing the risk of infection, according to an article on the Bristol Post website.

Inspectors found the safety of patients was being compromised as a result of the shortcomings in cleanliness and poor management of facilities.

The report by CQC said staff admitted that standards of cleanliness were inconsistent across the department. Operating rooms were kept clean but corridors were not cleaned regularly, the article said.

Among the incidents reported after the inspection:

•  Dirt being swept into a heap against the wall in a corridor leading to the entrance to the paediatric intensive care unit

•  Equipment being stored on shelves or covered with sheets which were not clean and free of dust

•  Clean linen was stored on shelves where they were open to dust and other contaminates

•  Adhesive tape was being used to cover damage on equipment, leading to compromised infection control

•  Some equipment was not tagged to indicate whether it had been cleaned or not

The inspectors also found fire doors could not be kept closed, access to a chemical spillage kit was blocked, clinical supplies were kept on a high shelf with no room for steps to access them and that there was an ineffective system for assessing risks in place, the article said.

"We are very disappointed by these findings by the CQC and have already begun work to develop an action plan that ensures high standards relating to good housekeeping are consistently maintained within the operating theatres of the Bristol Royal Hospital for Children and that specific attention is paid to assessing the impact of any proposed building or other work," Deborah Lee, deputy chief executive of the health trust, said in the article.

Read the article.