Inspectors find blood on shoes and dirty trolleys

HYGIENE inspectors found patient trolleys dirty and medical staff shoes bloodstained in an unannounced visit to a Glasgow hospital.

Watchdogs from the Healthcare Environment Inspectorate (HEI) examined the wards and the surgical theatre in Gartnavel General Hospital in the west end.

They found patient transfer trolleys and chairs in the wards and corridors that were “dirty on the undercarriages and within the groves of the trolley rails”. Inspectors also found a “lack of leadership” during theatre cleaning.

Policy states that theatre staff are responsible for cleaning their own shoes, which have been contaminated with bodily fluids.

But inspectors said: “In the male and female changing rooms we saw footwear contaminated with blood. These were stored as clean and ready for use.

Equipment used to position patient during surgery was found to be damaged and so could not be properly cleaned.

HEI, part of Healthcare Improvement Scotland, has called on NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde to take action to rectify the issues – with four separate requirements – “as a matter of priority”.

Jacqui Macrae, head of quality of care for Healthcare Improvement Scotland, said: “We found that the standard of environmental cleanliness in the hospital was good. However we also identified areas that need to be addressed.”

A health board spokesman said they were “very pleased to note the number of positive findings”, but added: “We recognise that there are still areas we need to address and an improvement plan has been developed.”