With extensive experience across the healthcare sector, REACT Specialist Cleaning can cover hospital cleaning in all areas.
More than in most other sectors, the approach to cleaning and hygiene in healthcare can be the difference between life and death. It’s important to improve hygiene and safety for a hospital’s patients, staff, and visitors alike. REACT has established an enviable reputation as specialists in cleaning and decontaminating NHS and private health environments. Our teams are well trained and qualified for work in all healthcare settings, using premium products, innovative solutions and working to the highest standards. In this blog, we’re going to talk about how we work to deliver hospital cleaning in all areas.
Exacting standards within one rigorous approach to healthcare cleaning
It may be self-evident that cleanliness and hygiene are critical to the safe operation of the healthcare service. But they clearly present a massive challenge to deliver across the modern healthcare system. That’s why the Health Act 2006 code of practice places a clear responsibility on the care provider to clean properly. The NHS subsequently published a framework for setting and measuring performance outcomes for cleaning hospitals. This set out the importance to think of cleaning both strategically and operationally, setting a cleaning plan which is adequately resourced and successfully executed.
As part of its broader framework, the NHS published new national standards of healthcare cleanliness in April 2021 [> https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/B0271-national-standards-of-healthcare-cleanliness-2021.pdf]. One focus is on the need for a collaborative approach, together with clear lines of responsibility. The standards also produce a renewed commitment to measure and benchmark performance in a uniform way. Compliance with standards and auditing processes are written into contracts with cleaning service providers to help achieve that consistency. By contracting out cleaning to a specialist cleaning company such as REACT, NHS hospitals and their outsourced FM contractors can ensure and demonstrate that they meet standards.
Responsive hospital cleaning in all areas
A 21st-century hospital is a complex environment to keep clean. Not only is it important to clean everywhere, but it’s also vital to pay special attention to certain key areas. The various environments within hospitals, as well as the equipment within each setting, have different safe cleaning frequencies. For instance, an operating theatre floor must clearly be cleaned much more frequently than the walls in a waiting room. Healthcare providers will determine cleaning frequencies, and audits of cleanliness, according to functional risk categories. Individual NHS Trusts have a good deal of leeway on determining these frequencies, to allow them the operational flexibility they need in their facilities.
Our dedicated NHS cleaning team operates to leading industry standards and within the framework set out by the NHS and government. The team is highly trained, medically fit, well-equipped, security cleared, and inoculated to protect themselves from hazard. We can undertake regular clinical contract cleaning (day and night shifts). This includes deep cleaning of wards, consultation rooms and theatre areas, as well as kitchen facilities, restrooms, and storage facilities. But we don’t overlook waiting rooms, public areas, and corridors.
A focus on infection control – and safe disposal of clinical waste
A key purpose for cleaning hospitals is to reduce rates of hospital-acquired infections. Accordingly, a particular area of expertise for us is our infection control service. This successfully reduces the risk of infections from a range of pathogens. Of course, the SARS-CoV2 coronavirus which causes Covid-19 is uppermost in everyone’s minds at present. But we can also eradicate such important pathogens as MRSA, Swine Flu, C. difficile and Norovirus. With this service, we pay particular attention to operating theatres and endoscopy facilities, as well as general wards.
With our extensive experience across the healthcare sector, we provide robust and reliable removal services for offensive hygiene waste, other clinical waste, and needles and sharps. As an upper-tier licensed waste carrier, we’re entitled to carry waste from whatever source it comes. And we can provide expert guidance to healthcare providers on the optimal approach to ensure compliance with legislation and customised solutions. Again, with the Covid-19 mass vaccination programme creating a whole host of used syringes, we can discard all sharps. We’ll ensure hospitals are disposing of sharps in rigid waste containers to avoid the risks of needle-stick injuries or mixing sharps in with other offensive waste.
To find out more about REACT Specialist Cleaning and our approach to hospital cleaning in all areas, contact one of the team today.
Telephone: 01283 550 503
Email: info@reactplc.co.uk
Website: www.reactsc.co.uk
Post by Shaun D. Doak
Shaun is the CEO of REACT Group plc., a business dedicated to specialist cleaning, hygiene, and decontamination. He is deeply committed to making sure that every one of our company’s clients receives the highest possible level of service. An expert in HVAC and commercial and industrial cleaning methodologies, Shaun has extensive experience in the facilities management and renewable services sector.