New NHS regulator to deal with hygiene
A new hospital regulator that will have the power to impose fines and halt new admissions to hospital wards in England for failing to meet hygiene requirements has been announced by Health Secretary Alan
Johnson.
The regulator replaces three existing bodies (the Healthcare Commission,
Commission for Social Care Inspection and the Mental Health Act Commission)
as part of the forthcoming Health and Social Care Bill. It will be the
first time that NHS and independent health care providers are regulated
under the same framework.
The new regulator will begin by ensuring Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s
call for a
one-off deep clean in hospitals is initiated. The intention is to restore
hospitals as closely as possible to their original state.
Mr Johnson also announced that hospitals will adopt a “bare below
the elbows” dress policy, in an attempt to ensure good hand and
wrist washing. The policy suggests that long sleeves, wristwatches and
hand or wrist jewellery should not be worn when providing patient care,
because they can become contaminated with micro-organisms and may reduce
compliance with hand hygiene regulations. Staff are also advised not
to wear white coats or neck ties when providing patient care.
However, an article in The Lancet accuses the British government of “pandering
to populism” instead of using evidence to deal with hospital acquired
infection. The article states that instead of removing visible dirt and
accosting doctors for wearing long sleeves and watches, hospitals should
concentrate on keeping “high touch” surfaces clean and ensuring
all health care staff wash their hands properly.
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Hospital
Pharmacist