NHS is waving a banner for improvement

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26th of July 2018 Article by Lynn Webster

The National Health Service (NHS) in the UK is to review the national specifications for cleanliness, reports Lynn Webster for ECJ.

We have all heard many reports and opinions both positive and negative of the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK. Within the estates and facilities arena there is considerable disparity from those with excellent patient experience; protected life cycle costs; minimal backlogs in maintenance and with estimated costs of €27.82 per square metre to the other extreme of poor patient experiences; ignored life cycle costs with huge backlogs in maintenance costs of €2,635 per square metre. These extremes give rise to, at one end, a fully motivated workforce to those at the other with a reactive workforce and high turnover.

Although sometimes thought to progress with the speed of a tortoise, steps are gingerly being made to move forward and demonstrate some clear improvements in the service.

NHS Improvements (NHSI), has within its remit both the Carter Report (review of efficiency in the NHS) and the Naylor report (examining how the NHS can make the best use of its estate) and hold a responsibility for best practice. It has embarked on a major project to review the National Specifications of Cleanliness and Healthcare Cleanliness Manual.

This is not before time when we consider the last full review and update was in 2007, some 11 years ago. There has been some activity with a review of PAS 5748 three years ago; and a review of the Cleanliness Manual five years ago. Neither of these activities had the massive challenges nor the weight attributed to this which will sit within legislation and the Health and Social Care Act.

The new document will not only cover the acute sector but is intended to incorporate mental health, community, general practice and other social groups. Many had managed to adopt some of the previous document but with major adjustments in interpretation.

Substantial impacts in cleaning have been made over the last decade without changing the standard. This review will cover major innovations, technology and new methodologies in cleaning; It will be designed to provide a safe clean environment, easily understandable without ambiguity or failures in application. It will be illustrated by shared best practices and suitable case studies becoming a ‘fluid’ document for easy electronic access and updates that will not just sit on a shelf.

The various work streams involved with the review are covering Safe Standards; Methodology; Risk Categories; Training and Education; Cleaning Responsibilities; Co-Dependencies; Technology and Audit. There has been full engagement with wide ranging input from all stakeholders with a challenging deadline of the beginning of June 2018 when the draft will be circulated for comment.

The NHS then has an extremely tight, fast return timetable for all comments from all stakeholders in just two weeks. This will include over 200 NHS Trusts, suppliers, agencies and associations and other interested parties with a final document completed for circulation for the beginning of July. Implementation is, however, unlikely to be as quick.