Hospital criticised for storing breast milk too warm

EXPRESSED breast milk was stored at the wrong temperature in a children’s hospital in Glasgow, inspectors have found.

NHS guidelines state that it should be refrigerated at between 2C and 4C but records showed it was stored at temperatures of up to 7C on four wards at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children (Yorkhill).

Staff were also not clear on the correct temperature range at which the expressed milk should be stored.

The Healthcare Environment Inspectorate (HEI) has issued three requirements and one recommendation following the unannounced inspection visit on December 16 and 17 last year.

This included an urgent requirement that refrigerated expressed breast milk should be stored appropriately.

HEI senior inspector Alastair McGown said: “We observed good staff compliance with hand-hygiene practices and found a high standard of environmental cleanliness across the wards and departments inspected.

“However, we did find that improvements are needed to ensure patient equipment is clean and ready for use, and to ensure that expressed br ea s t milk is s t or e d appropriately.”

Inspectors issued an urgent requirement that the health board should ensure all patient equipment is clean and ready for use to reduce the risk of cross-infection to patients, staff and visitors.

Rosslyn Crocket, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde’s board nursing director, said: “We are disappointed that the report makes three requirements and one recommendation, and we are already addressing these as a priority.”