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Islington Tribune - by PETER GRUNER
Published: 21 December 2007

Chief Executive: David Sloman

Hospital staff told: Scrub those hands

‘We owe it to patients to get basic hygiene right’

A WARNING that more needs to be done to cut infections at Whittington Hospital in Archway has been sounded by chief executive David Sloman.
In a hard-hitting editorial in the hospital magazine The Link, Mr Sloman has said he “unapologetically” raised the question of hygiene. He expressed concern that not all departments at the hospital were meeting 100 per cent compliance hygiene guidelines.
“It does not matter what they did get,” Mr Sloman writes. “All that matters is that they did not achieve 100 per cent. We owe it to our patients, our public and ourselves to demonstrate that we are getting this basic right.”
He added that regular handwashing inspections are now being stepped up and the hospital is being deep-cleaned.
“Individuals not complying with the policy will be challenged, and if necessary will undertake mandatory retraining in control of infection,” he warned.
“We will also be checking all staff are complying with the uniform policy, which in itself is aimed at helping to reduce infections.”
Feedback on performance is to be given to wards and departments. Any individual failing to comply with the handwashing hygiene policy will be ordered to improve.
“Frankly, we are simply not doing as much as we could to keep our infections down to an absolute minimum,” he said.
The hospital is reviewing cleaning standards, with senior nurses undertaking monthly audits of all clinical areas to assess cleanliness. The aim is to identify where and why standards are falling short.
“Meanwhile I am relying on the help and support of each and every member of staff to ensure we follow good practice at all times and ensure infection is kept to a minimum,” Mr Sloman said.
The hospital is continuing to reduce its reliance on antibiotics, which can make patients vulnerable to future infection.
Mr Sloman added: ”Whereas antibiotics make an enormous contribution to the care of our patients, they need to be used with care.”

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