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Invitation to The Cardiothoracic Centre's "Warts & All" Think Clean Day
Added: (Fri Feb 25 2005)
Media Information
NATIONAL “THINK CLEAN DAY“
New action for cleaner, safer hospitals
The Cardiothoracic Centre – Liverpool NHS Trust will be showing its commitment to cleanliness in hospitals by participating in National “Think Clean Day” on Monday 28th February.
Think Clean Day is an initiative between local trusts, the Department of Health, UNISON, and other key partners including the Royal College of Nursing, to raise the profile and importance of hygiene issues in hospitals.
The purpose of the day is to focus attention on cleaning and demonstrate what can be achieved in just one day. Staff can immediately use this experience to improve their hospital cleaning plan. The NHS has sent out packs of promotional material to hospitals to ensure the day has the maximum effect.
Hospitals across England are being asked to audit a ward or department and find solutions to any cleanliness problems they find. Cleanliness is everybody’s responsibility so everyone from cleaning staff to Chief Executives will be involved.
The Cardiothoracic Centre will be undertaking the following actions to support “Think Clean Day”:
Chief Executive, Mike Bone, Finance Director, Melanie Simmonds, together with a wide range of staff and patient
Volunteers, including Senior Managers, Ward Staff, Infection Control staff, Patient Advice Liaison Services staff, Domestic cleaning staff and Patient & Public Forum Members’ Representatives, will be auditing the hospital’s ECG Department, which provides one of Europe’s busiest pacemaker services and also Ward B, a female cardiothoracic ward.
Christine Beasley, the Chief Nursing Officer, will be visiting Lewisham Hospital in South East London today to see what they are doing to support Think Clean Day.
CNO Christine Beasley said:
“Think Clean Day is all about local NHS staff making a difference in their area. Everyone, no matter how junior or senior can play a part.
“I hope that all staff will take the opportunity to think about how they work, and whether there are any changes they could make that would improve the cleanliness of our hospitals. That way, Think Clean Day will leave a legacy that lasts well beyond today.”
Claire Rayner, President of The Patients Association said:
"The Patients Association takes this opportunity of reminding all healthcare professionals that "think clean day" is an ideal way to reinforce this practice when it comes to protecting their patients by the implementation of basic hygiene including regular handwashing, the use of alcohol based gels and the extra protection from using gloves.
“These very simple but effective measures go a long way to ensure cleanliness and the protection of patients as well as staff"
The President of the Royal College of Nursing, Beverley Malone, said:
‘The RCN welcomes the Think Clean Day initiative as a good way to remind nurses and other healthcare staff of the importance of hygiene wherever patients are receiving care.
“But the truth is every day should be Think Clean Day and nurses have an important role to play in ensuring that cleanliness is at the top of everyone’s agenda.
“The Think Clean pack is useful, well-thought out tool that can be used by staff, patients and their families and everybody concerned with eradicating hospital acquired infections.’
Think Clean Day is the latest initiative designed to improve standards of cleanliness in hospitals; previous initiatives include the on-going “cleanyourhands” campaign (led by the National Patients Safety Agency) and the new cleaning contract published by the Secretary of State for Health, Dr John Reid.
Ends
For further information please contact:
Christine Bell, PR & Communications Manager
The Cardiothoracic Centre – Liverpool NHS Trust,Thomas Drive
Liverpool L14 3PE
Tel. No.0151 293 2409; Fax. No. 0151 220 8573; Email: Christine.bell@ctc.nhs.uk
Notes for Editors
1. Cleanliness in hospitals is a high priority for patients and the public. It’s one of the few new targets set for the NHS at a time when we are reducing the number of national targets for NHS and social care from 62 to 20.
The new target announced by Secretary of State for Health on 5 November 2004 is to halve the number of MRSA blood infections in NHS hospitals by 2008. This is a very challenging target but we are confident the NHS is up to the challenge.
The Secretary of State for Health followed this up on 7 December 2004 by publishing a new model cleaning contract, containing detailed guidance to ensure hospitals have clear and binding contracts to deliver high standards of cleaning.
Since 2000 the standards of hospital cleanliness have gone up. In the latest published scores, around half are now rated as ‘very good’ or ‘good’, and most of the others as ‘acceptable’. Less than 3% of NHS Trusts were rated as ‘poor’. Now the task is to bring all Trusts up to ‘good’ or ‘very good’.