A typical scenario that faces almost every accident and emergency doctor every time they arrive for their shift is the nagging doubt that they will be exposed to infection and could become ill.
The pandemic has highlighted the need for an efficient and rigorous cleaning regime and brought into focus how important it is for everyone on the frontline to have the right PPE and to be able to work in a clean and safe working environment.
The obvious problem is that if a nurse or a doctor gets sick, they will no longer be able to help their patients. That is why cleaning and protection protocols have to be the highest standard possible to keep everyone as safe as possible.
Let’s take a look at some of the challenges of keeping A&E departments clean and how outsourcing might be the solution you need.
No time for cleaning
Any doctor or nurse will tell you that they are fully employed with looking after people throughout their shift. Despite being acutely aware of how important it is to have excellent health and safety protocols, they are entirely reliant on others to help maintain standards.
Nursing staff and doctors clearly have to practice good hygiene and safety protocols to protect themselves and the patients they are treating. Still, they don’t have the same level of control over their working environment. This factor is especially true in A&E, as patients are coming and going at all hours of the day.
Many hospital staff simply don’t have the time to focus their attention on anything other than patient care and have to rely on the hospital having procedures in place that make their work environment as safe as possible.
The case for outsourcing cleaning
The ultimate aim with infection control and maintaining hygiene standards is consistency.
The problem that many hospitals struggle with is a high turnover of cleaning staff. They also suffer from employees not receiving up-to-date training and gaps in their knowledge of healthcare regulations.
Outsourcing hospital cleaning services can provide a solution to a number of these critical issues. This is because a contractor will provide trained staff and will be there to carry out cleaning tasks daily. For A&E departments, this is vital in keeping the main entrance point to the hospital clean and safe for everyone.
It is also a way of ensuring that cleaning processes and procedures are consistent, and that can only be a good thing for both healthcare workers in the hospital and patients too.
Get in touch with ACC today to find out more about the benefits of outsourcing your cleaning requirements in hospitals and A&E departments.
