‘Rapid Response’ Cleaning Teams to be Sent in to Hospitals to Stop Infection

June 27, 2008 Posted by Administrator in : News , add a comment

Cleaning teams will be brought in to every hospital ward in South Wales in the latest attempt to cut infection rates.

Health Minister Edwina Hart will ensure every NHS trust sets up a “rapid response” cleaning team, which can be mobilised to carry out deep cleaning, in a bid to stop the spread of infections like Norovirus and MRSA.

Edwina Hart said: ‘We are already working hard to improve hospital cleanliness. The overall infection rate in Wales is lower than that in England and Scotland.’

‘I would also stress that cleanliness is everybody’s responsibility – not only that of NHS staff but patients and visitors too.’

Ward sisters will be in charge of the ward-based cleaning teams. The moves are designed to improve standards of cleanliness in Welsh hospitals and give patients the confidence that they are being treated in a safe environment.

Fly-Tippers Imprisoned For Dumping Mass Waste

June 20, 2008 Posted by Administrator in : News , add a comment

Two fly-tippers who ran a successful business dumping more than 14,000 tonnes of waste at sites in and around London were jailed last week for a total of three years.

The court was told Patrick Anderson and James Kelleher made £1.2million running a “wide scale operation to unlawfully deposit waste material” including soil, rubble and other construction waste.

The pair hired workers in high-visibility jackets, used lorries and put up health and safety signs to disguise their operations.

Andrew Colman, the Prosecutor said: ‘An empty site would be chosen, and the locks were broken and replaced.’

The two men trained their employees to hand out a false mobile number and claim they had “authority from the council” when questioned by officials.

The operation then quickly shut down and the vehicles disappeared.

Between January 2003 and June 2004 the fly-tippers were involved in 15 incidents of fly-tipping across London.

Kelleher, who has previous convictions, was jailed for 14 months and Anderson was jailed for 22 months.

Reports Say Cleanliness is Top Priority for NHS Patients

June 16, 2008 Posted by Administrator in : News , add a comment

Over three quarters of NHS patients put hospital cleanliness as their top priority when choosing where they are treated.

Official government figures have been released showing that hygiene is more important to patients than waiting times.

The Department of Health’s carried out a National Patient Choice Survey and found that:

- 76% of patients said cleanliness and a low infection rate is the most important factor when going in to a hospital.

Waiting times and cleanliness, are key reasons why people purchase private health cover.