Officials at two hospitals in Wales, UK, have been told they have until the end of the month to clean up their act after inspectors found hygiene standards to be unacceptable.
Nevill Hall Hospital in Abergavenny, which is run by Gwent Healthcare NHS Trust, and Morriston Hospital, run by Swansea NHS Trust, are among the first to receive unannounced spot-checks as part of a drive to improve cleanliness.
The drive is headed by the independent watchdog Healthcare Inspectorate Wales (HIW), and the aim is to ensure hospital bosses are making cleanliness a priority.
Now HIW chief executive Peter Higson has written to both trusts setting out the results and demanding action on a series of potentially serious hygiene-related problems.
In his letter to Gwent Healthcare NHS Trust, he highlights failings in its A&E unit.
He writes: “The general environment of the A&E department was cramped, cluttered, dusty and shabby,” adding that in the wards, “we identified issues in relation to waste management, with a used blood bag and line being found in a sink in the utility area of one ward”.
In a similar letter to Swansea NHS Trust, he said: “We were particularly concerned about the food storage arrangements on the medical admissions ward, where we found some food to be stored on the floor and butter being stored at room temperature. The current situation needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency.”
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