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Health hazard - John Astor House |
Nurse quarters ‘a health risk’
Tenants claim standards at Fitzrovia block could pose a danger to patients
IT claims to be the greatest hospital in London.
Posts are advertised as far away as the Philippines and Australia, with the promise of “quality accommodation” in a “central location” exerting a magnetic pull on the overseas army who form the backbone of the NHS in the capital.
Quality is not a word hundreds of nurses, healthcare assistants and physios recruited by University College Hospital would recognise when they see the Fitzrovia housing block they will call home. For many John Astor House is their first glimpse of life in London, and it’s not pretty.
Since July last year the 350 or so tenants of the block in Foley Street have had to endure months of “hell”, with around 120 days without hot water, rotting rubbish piled high in the corridors, regular power cuts and even a flood. Paying between £450 and £600 a month, they say the standard of living is a disgrace. More seriously, they fear that by being forced to wash their uniforms in cold water, they could be putting patients’ lives at risk.
NHS infection control guidelines stipulate all staff have to wash uniforms in water of at least 60 degrees centigrade.
The West End Extra met a group of tenants at John Astor House. They were too worried to reveal their identities because they said it could threaten their jobs.
One nurse who has lived in the block for 20 years said: “The bottom line is, it’s a serious public health risk. It could be putting patients at danger. If there’s no hot water and the electricity isn’t working we can’t wash.
“When you come back from a 12-hour shift and you can’t have a shower it’s not much good. Either we have to traipse half an hour to another block or you have to go to the gym or to a friend’s house. They said it would be over by September but nothing’s changed.”
Another, a physio recently arrived from Australia, said she had to wash body fluids from the walls of her room when she arrived: “My student digs 20 years ago were a better state than this. People get here and can’t believe their eyes. I spent two days washing the walls of my room.
“The lifts don’t work, rubbish is left in the corridors, the fridges are disgusting and the hot water situation is a complete joke. We don’t know what to do. Our complaints are just ignored so we feel we have little choice but to go to the press.”
Responsibility for the block falls to the housing association Pathmeads, who have leased it from the owners University College Hospital Trust since 2001.
Pathmeads have already paid out compensation to some tenants – £64 each – for three months between July and September last year where there was no hot water. At the time they promised that would be the end of it, but tenants have recorded 31 days since September without hot water, most recently June 4 and 16.
Pathmeads have apologised to tenants for the “disruption”, and claim there is adequate provision for nurses to wash their uniforms elsewhere.
A spokeswoman said: “We at Pathmeads and UCLH are very sorry for the disruption to services that the tenants at John Astor House have experienced.
“Disruption is as a result of essential preparatory works being undertaken by UCLH for the siting of the new Fitzrovia Community Centre. Pathmeads has a lease on the building and manages the residential accommodation there while UCLH is responsible for the provision of heating and hot water to the whole building. We are working closely to ensure that disruption caused by these very necessary works is minimised, and there is an agreement in place at UCLH whereby nurses can wash their uniforms without charge at an accredited NHS laundry.
“Further compensation claims will be considered by UCLH on behalf of residents once the work is complete.” |
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