SPOT-CHECKS on ambulances across Greater Manchester have revealed a startling lack of hygiene.
Checks on 22 emergency vehicles in the north west by a government watchdog found none had been properly cleaned in a year.
Investigators also found:
- Nine were in a `very poor condition' with `visible dirt' on walls, floors, surfaces and door frames;
- One bloodstained ambulance in Stockport was so bad that it had to be taken off the road immediately;
- Staff were reusing stained equipment;
- Medical equipment had been taken out of sterile packaging and placed in dirty and damaged bags;
- Cleaning equipment at ambulance stations was `extremely dirty'.
The unannounced inspection - aimed at tackling superbugs like MRSA - was carried out by officials from the Care Quality Commission last month.
Bug-busting
The looked at 22 out of 1,000 ambulances across the north west. Of the nine worst ambulances two were at Bolton north station, two at Stockport and one at Warrington.
Paramedics say they do not have time to clean their ambulances. Bosses at the North West Ambulance Service - NWAS - have been given an official warning.
They have promised to make sure all vehicles are given a specialist bug-busting deep clean by mid-September and say they will meet the infection control guidelines by the winter. They face another inspection in October.
The CQC report said: "Nine were found to be in a very poor condition with visible dirt on the floors, walls horizontal surfaces and door frames.
"The remaining 13 were not found to have been cleaned to a good standard; all had some areas of dirt in the interior of the ambulance.
"It was clear from the level of dirt these vehicles were not cleaned on a frequent basis. All crew reported that none of the vehicles we inspected had had a deep clean in the past year or more.
"Stained"
"Staff reported that they did not have allocated time to effectively clean the ambulances."
Inspectors found some staff were reusing `stained' medical equipment including neck braces. Cleaning equipment like mops at ambulance stations was `extremely dirty'.
Staff at Stockport and Warrington said they could not access replacements because they were locked away.
CQC Report
It was clear from the level of dirt these vehicles were not cleaned on a frequent basis
The inspectors also visited ambulance stations in Bury and A & E departments at Fairfield Hospital in Bury and Manchester Royal Infirmary as well as on Merseyside and Lancashire.
Prof Kevin Mackway-Jones, medical director at NWAS, said: "The safety of both our patients and staff is an absolute priority to us and we have already put a number of measures in place to ensure that our vehicles meet the highest standards of cleanliness.
Disappointed
"We were disappointed to note that it has still not reached the levels required by the Care Quality Commission but wish to reassure patients that we are working as swiftly as possible to remedy this situation.
"We are tackling cleanliness as a matter of urgency and our ambulances are fit for purpose."
The trust has also promised extra investment in cleaning.
Craig Wild, from the NWAS branch of union Unison said: "Everyone is under so much pressure because of the targets to get out on another job that they do not have the time to clean vehicles."
Alan Jefferson, regional director for the Care Quality Commission north west, said: "Patients have a right to expect that everything possible is being done to prevent them from catching healthcare-associated infections.
"It is not acceptable that patients should have to travel in dirty ambulances. We are aware that the trust has already began to address our requirements and we’ll be checking that all the necessary improvements have been made.”
If you work for the ambulance service and have experienced problems with ambulance cleaning please contact the M.E.N. newsdesk on 211 2323 or email: newsdesk@men-news.co.uk
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Showing comments 1 to 14 and replies | View All
J. Peasmold Gruntfuttock, King of Peasmouldia (12/08/2009 at 08:50)
Zimmerman, manchester (12/08/2009 at 11:01)
Angie33 , Manchester (12/08/2009 at 11:23)
Elljay (12/08/2009 at 11:31)
to the point, bury (12/08/2009 at 12:39)
Ronald Gillatt (12/08/2009 at 13:28)
Ron Gillatt
Ontario
Canada
mysay, Manchester (12/08/2009 at 13:47)
d j (12/08/2009 at 19:59)
Angie33 , Manchester (12/08/2009 at 21:42)
Steve an alternative view (13/08/2009 at 11:13)
The management of NWAS goes on about the safety of staff and patients being an absolute priority. Well make your own minds up about that, but to me, filthy ambulances and as such treatment areas suggests it hasn’t been until now when they have been caught out.
Thomas The Tank, Rusholme (13/08/2009 at 11:35)
Having lost two members of my family who died two years apart, both of whom were rushed in and I might add battled for and attended to in the most professional and caring manner, alas sadly they died. I could not commend each and everyone more highly the care was second to none. But and this is a BIG BUT! That was back in the 90's, and since then our hospitals have gone backwards in every sense of the word, the corridors may look bright and freshly painted but it's what is left lying on the surface that counts? And sadly I would also throw in the nursing standards of shall we say a few, by a few I mean a good chunk of the nursing population that includes doctors and auxiliary staff. Below standards all round. It has always been a well known fact that our nurses were trained to a high standard, and that many leave these shores for richer pickings USA, CANADA, EUROPE lets face it who can blame them, they are most certainly not paid enough here? We then end up with? And there is no easy way to say this but slightly bruised inferior apples. Across the board and in every sense of the word this countries hospital standards have plummeted! Cleanliness? Well that is just literally flashed over and with a dirty cloth at best (Figuratively speaking) Add to that the type of people we have roaming said corridors now with very dubious standards of cleanliness in waiting rooms coughing and spitting and putting out dirt and germs by the bucket load? And also the caliber and character of some not all of these so called caring operatives seem to lack any semblance of foresight, concern, compassion or the word DIGNITY sadly that is a mark of how society is in general. And so as you stated about your brother dying the way he did, this is very sad but all to common place now. No doubt there will be screams of we do our best etc.....etc...etc... well I think their best falls way below standard now, and I like you hope to god i do not end up on a bed in any of these establishments I would rather go to CUBA who has it happens has some of the best per capita health care standards and success rate in the world? How sad are we? And that brings me to the cleanliness of ambulances? It does not take much to work out that if the wards & corridors theaters and waiting rooms are in such a germ ridden filthy state, then what hope have we that they could keep a simple ambulance basically clean, it is so hard whilst sitting waiting for your next job, to just pick up a disinfectant spray and wipe and flash round? Some probably do it? But I think many wouldn't? Not their job you see. That the sad attitude of this countries work ethic these days. PLEASE PLEASE GOD I don't have to go to hospital!
Andanotherthing, Mcr (13/08/2009 at 11:48)
Steve an alternative view (13/08/2009 at 12:07)
Andanotherthing, Mcr (13/08/2009 at 12:17)
The polish is all over the seats where people put their shoes and the spit is all the chewing gum.