Hospitals lack cleaning staff, Office Cleaning

Hospitals lack cleaning staff - 22/04/2008

Hospitals should have a minimum of two cleaners for every 30 patients, according to Unison.

The workers union, which represents cleaners, nurses and porters, also suggests that hospitals should consult cleaning companies to help prevent infection.

Unison's head of health Karen Jennings explained that cleaning company staff are often frustrated because they are "rarely consulted or listened to", despite their expertise.

She added: "It should be a requirement that all NHS organisations have safe minimum staffing levels for their cleaning services that are based on quality, not cost, and with staff receiving proper, up to date training and equipment."

The union also claimed that hospitals need to be cleaned on a daily basis from 8am until 9pm to ensure the upmost is done to prevent superbugs such as MRSA from developing.

However, industry representatives speaking at the union's 2008 Health Care Service Group Conference claimed that hospitals concern with cost rather than quality was preventing the use of the most up to date cleaning equipment.