Focus: Infection Control

Hospital cleaning budget cuts blamed for superbug outbreak
The hospital has been forced to dramatically increase its cleaning budget
Ireland's Health Service Executive (HSE) is facing potentially a large cleaning bill to fight a lethal superbug that has already taken hold in hospitals in Dublin and Limerick, according to an article on the Newstalk 106-108 website.
The Irish Times reports that more than 2,000 patients at Tallaght Hospital have come into contact with carbapenemase-producing enterobacteriaceae (CPE) since it was first identified at the facility in mid-2015.
In an effort to tackle the bug, the hospital has been forced to dramatically increase its cleaning budget, restrict visiting, cancel operations and test hundreds of patients each week.
Some are blaming the outbreak in part on cuts to the facility's cleaning budget — which saw staff left with seven minutes to clean a bed before new patients were brought in, and routine cleaning timetables cancelled on Sundays.
June 2, 2017
Topic Area: Infection Control
Recent Posts
Hospital Evacuation Highlights Importance of Emergency Preparedness
Berger Hospital was evacuated after smoke was discovered in the basement.
Building a Culture of Infection Prevention
Investing in infection prevention can benefit healthcare organizations and patient outcomes.
Ground Broken on Sanford Health Fargo's Peltier Lodge
The 28,400-square-foot facility will feature spaces to support patients and loved ones during treatment and throughout their outpatient care and monitoring.
The Role of Facilities Managers in Healthcare Design
Jiayin Li discusses the way in-house facilities teams can help shape the design of key spaces.