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London hospitals 'dirtiest in Britain'
Sophie Goodchild, Health Editor18.10.07
London and the South-East have the highest proportion of hospitals classed as unhygienic in the country.
Figures released today by the health standards regulator reveal that about a quarter of primary care trusts and acute units in London are failing to protect patients from superbugs.
St George's Hospital in Tooting, Barnet & Chase Farm Hospital and the Whittington are among those named and shamed by the Healthcare Commission.
Their failings include dirty wards and inadequate sterilisation of equipment.
The ratings come despite the introduction of tough new hygiene standards for hospitals and trusts following the scandal involving Maidstone & Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust where 90 patients died after an outbreak of clostridium-difficile.
The figures are in the commission's annual check on the performance of every hospital, primary care trust, mental health trust and ambulance service. Their performances were audited on both patient care and financial management.
Overall, nearly a third were rated "weak" but three of the 19 trusts nationwide to be awarded a rating of "excellent" for both finances and service to patients were in London: Chelsea & Westminster, Guy's & St Thomas' and the Royal Marsden.
In terms of just patient care, which includes issues such hygiene as well as waiting times, cancer treatments and accident and emergency care, the overall picture is improving - 22 bodies managed to improve on last year's ratings.
The London Ambulance Service rose two levels from "weak" to "good". It has improved its response times for life-threatening calls. Surrey, Sussex and West Hertfordshire-NHS trusts got bottom marks for the second consecutive year.
Two trusts - Sutton & Merton and Moorfields Eye Hospital - were branded weak and some others came in for criticism in key areas. Whipps Cross University Hospital was singled out for failing on stroke care and for not meeting the 18-week referral-to-treatment target.
Mental health services showed the best performance overall - the West London Mental Health NHS Trust improved from "good" to "excellent" on financial management and from "fair" to "good" on patient services. The rest remained static, the vast majority being graded at "fair" or better. These included Lewisham and City & Hackney Teaching Primary Care Trusts.
Anna Walker, chief executive of the Healthcare Commission, said that improving infection control was top of their agenda.
* The primary care and other trusts classed as unhygienic are: Havering, City & Hackney Teaching, Hammersmith & Fulham, Hounslow, Brent Teaching, Harrow, Kensington & Chelsea, Westminster, Wandsworth, Richmond & Twickenham, Sutton & Merton, Bromley Hospitals, St Mary's NHS, Mayday Healthcare, St George's Healthcare, Whittington Hospital, Moorfields Eye Hospital, Barnet & Chase Farm Hospitals and Epsom & St Helier University Hospitals.
Reader views (4)
My mother caught c diff, in a north London Hospital. She had to share a filthy commode with the rest of the ward. I rarely saw the nurses wash their hands.I trained as a Registered Nurse at the Charing Cross Hospital 30 years ago. Effective hygeine is so simple, basic, and neglected. Infection control practices need to be implemented on a frequent daily basis. All personnel in contact with patients need to be monitored for effective hand-washing technique, and infection control procedures. In the hospices I work in each patient has their own commode if they need one and they are never shared. When they are no longer required they are returned for sterilization. Even though our patients are extremely frail they rarely acquire infections.
- Valerie, Lighthouse Point, Florida USA
I endorse your comments Gary, but why is it more of a problem in the South East? This highlights once more that our services have to penny pinch as more of taxpayers money is redirected from source payers to other parts of the country, particularly the north and midlands.
- Claire Hedges, Surrey, England
Infection Control Managers do not do their job well. They should do monthly inspection and audit. They should not lock themselves sitting in their offices.
Managers should also make sure that the ward is fully staffed to deliver quality care. They should not cut the budget if health and safety is the main concern.
- Andy, London
Why does this not surprise me anymore? As the whole cleaning of hospitals has been put out to the cheapest option, and then for the cleaning company to make a profit, they use the cheapest materials which are usually watered down as well.
- Gary, London
