9 December 2008
Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust has been declared fully compliant with the government's ‘Hygiene Code' following an unannounced inspection by the health watchdog, the Healthcare Commission.
The ‘Hygiene Code', part of the Health Act 2006, lays down the rules NHS trusts must follow to ensure patients are cared for in a clean environment, where the risks of healthcare acquired infections like MRSA and C. difficile are kept as low as possible. The rules cover all aspects of infection control, not only cleanliness. Examples of measures in the code are:
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Having staff members who are dedicated to overseeing infection control;
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Providing the right kind of hand-washing facilities in the right places;
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Staff understanding and implementing best practice in infection control;
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Having enough isolation facilities to minimise the risk of infections spreading.
Over two days, the inspectors visited seven randomly selected wards and departments at both Epsom and St Helier hospitals. They also interviewed a range of staff.
Samantha Jones, Chief Executive, said: "This is excellent news for St Helier, Sutton and Epsom hospitals. The result of the inspection, combined with the reductions we have seen over the last year in MRSA and C. difficile, will demonstrate to our patients and local people the importance we place on keeping their hospitals clean and safe.
"The Healthcare Commission has very high standards - I would like to thank all of our staff and volunteers for their continued hard work in helping to meet them and, in turn, making sure our patients receive the best possible care in a clean and welcoming environment."
