Trusty trolley hygiene team are cleaning up on the jokes front
IT is not just the doctors doing their rounds at East Cheshire Hospice – the housekeepers with their trusty trolleys are never far away.
The six-strong team is always on the move ensuring that every nook and cranny stays spotlessly clean.
Peter Bailey, from Macclesfield, is the longest serving member of the housekeeping team, having seen many changes during his 11 years at the Millbank Drive site.
He said: “The building’s changed since I came here, with the new extension, and thankfully we don’t just rely on the old-fashioned mop and bucket any more.
“The trolleys carry all sorts of cleaning equipment and I was involved in choosing the type we use. It is a big place, though, and you can feel it in your legs at the end of the day.”
Peter was an auxiliary nurse at a London hospice in the 1980s and has worked in care homes so feels at home among patients.
“My philosophy is that if you can make people laugh even if only for 10 seconds then you might have done them some good.
“You have to remember that some patients don’t have visits from relatives and friends and we might be the only non-clinical people they see so they may like to chat, even if it’s what was on TV the night before.
“However, we always show respect and will leave people alone if they prefer not to chat.
“There’s a great team spirit among the housekeepers and we’re an important cog in the hospice machine.”
Peter and colleagues James Knight, James Rogers, Arran Byrom, Sarah Hanagan and Susan Oxley are part of the hospitality team led by Rob Kind whose responsibilities also include catering and laundry.
East Cheshire Hospice has an exemplary hygiene record, achieving 100 per cent infection control results, which is paramount with health care cleanliness under so much scrutiny generally.
Rob said: “We clean every room every day, including all the machinery, and have a programme of deep cleaning.
“We make sure the building is ready for operation and our team has enormous pride in their work.
“The hospice is a community hub and a hive of activity. The palliative care is just one element of our work, we support day care, outpatients and a host of meetings and events.
“It’s a brilliant place to work and our housekeeping, laundry and catering teams are always in demand.”