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Cleanliness Standards Dropped In NHS Hospitals – Patient Reports

by Medindia Content Team on May 31 2006 12:30 PM

A survey on NHS hospitals revealed falling standards of cleanliness despite Government promises to clean dirty wards.

Comparing to 56 percent people in 2002, only 52 percent reported about clean wards. Simultaneously about 51 percent in 2003 said lavatories were very clean, but only 46 percent this year. Contradicting the above, the annual NHS patients' survey reported high levels of general satisfaction with the health service.

Availability of nurses was good, only 60 per cent said. And some patients complained about lack of information before discharge.

Same as previous, records were got for foods availability in hospital as 54 percent saying good or very good, a third saying fair and 15 per cent saying poor.

About a quarter complained, about no contact numbers were given, two fifths got no information on side effects of their drugs, 40 per cent were given no information about ‘danger signals’ after surgery. But about 92 per cent and 80 per cent stated ‘excellent’, ‘very good’ or ‘good’ for care and dignity in treatment respectively.

The chief executive in the Healthcare Commission(which takes over the survey), Anna Walker, says patients are to be thanked for their comments on hospital staff despite its complaints.

Patients Associations’ spokesman exclaimed about the claims on cleanliness.

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A more serious issue from the patients surveyed was about cleanliness and it needs to tackled correctly to provide standards in cleanliness, disease and infection control - said Dr Gill Morgan, the chief executive of the NHS Confederation.


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