Inspectors give hospital a clean bill of health
Stirling Community Hospital has been given a clean bill of health by inspectors.
The Healthcare Environment Inspectorate (HEI) this week published its report relating to an unannounced inspection visit to the hospital over two days in September.
The inspection team examined NHS Forth Valley self-assessment information and then visited the hospital to meet patients and staff, and to inspect wards and departments to assess cleanliness and to check that the hospital meets national standards.
The hospital provides a wide range of local health services, including inpatient wards (93 beds), outpatients clinics and a minor injuries unit. Acute services were transferred from the site (Stirling Royal Infirmary) to Forth Valley Royal Hospital, Larbert, in July 2011. Work has begun on building a new care village on the site of the community hospital, to include health and social care facilities.
Claire Sweeney, interim director of quality assurance for Healthcare Improvement Scotland, said: “This was the first inspection of this community hospital following the transfer of services from acute to community in 2011. The inspection was very positive.
“The standard of cleanliness of the environment and patient equipment was good throughout the hospital. Frontline staff had a positive relationship with the infection prevention and control team, and the team was highly visible on the wards.”
Standard of cleanliness of environment and patient equipment was said to be good throughout.
The inspectors said staff awareness and understanding of information within the infection prevention and control monthly directorate reports should be improved, but made no requirements or recommendations.
They said: “On one ward, we saw there were no clinical waste bins in patient bedroom areas. These were only located in the patient shower rooms. We noted that a domestic bin contained waste that may be more appropriately disposed of in a clinical waste bin. This was raised with the senior charge nurse at the time of the inspection.
“On one ward, domestic services staff told us they use the same personal protective equipment when cleaning an entire bay. Aprons and gloves should be changed between each patient bed space.
“Ward staff considered the weekly visits by the infection prevention and control nurse to have a focus on the environment, hand hygiene practice and use of personal protective equipment. Staff awareness could be improved on the full scope, remit or purpose of these visits.
“We discussed this with the infection prevention and control team and were assured that work would be carried out to improve communication and understanding with frontline staff.”
All patients spoken to said they saw staff washing their hands or using alcohol based hand rubs before attending to them. Of 20 respondents to the inspection survey, 94 per cent stated ward staff always washed their hands.
Professor Angela Wallace, NHS Forth Valley Director of Nursing said: “The report reflects the hard work carried out by staff to maintain a safe, clean and pleasant environment. I was particularly heartened to learn 100 per cent of patients who completed a questionnaire thought the standard of cleanliness on their wards was good and the equipment used by staff always kept clean..
Areas assessed included the MIU, Outpatients, X-ray department and several inpatient wards.