Stamping out superbugs
October 1st 2009 Superbugs need tough treatment, and deep cleaning is one proven method of dealing with them. ISS Mediclean says its permanent decontamination units are forming a backbone of UK infection control strategies
Public awareness of so called superbugs has never been so heightened. As a result, there is an increased demand for new strategies and advanced technologies that will eliminate the risk of hospital infection as much as possible. The Government's Deep Cleaning Programme put forward strategies to help hospitals reduce the spread of MRSA and other superbugs. As part of this process, ISS Mediclean has introduced permanent decontamination cleaning units to UK hospitals that will continue to help hospitals implement comprehensive deep cleaning programmes. The Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Woolwich, London, is one of the first hospitals in the UK to adopt a planned deep cleaning programme that includes the use of a permanent decontamination cleaning unit.The unit was launched at the hospital in August this year and now plays a central role in the hospital's deep cleaning programme. All its mobile equipment is taken to the unit and deep cleaned as part of a regular rolling programme. The unit is a self contained, secure cleaning environment with a team of fully trained, skilled healthcare cleaners. Fitted with modern decontamination technology, including chlorine based cleaning products, microfibre technology and dry steam cleaning machines, the unit has the ability to clean any portable hospital equipment including beds, furniture, wheelchairs and trolleys.
What's it all about ?
The process begins with the bed or piece of equipment being taken to the first section of the unit where the item is cleaned thoroughly by ISS staff using a chlorine solution and microfibre cloths.Microfibre – a synthetic material one hundred times finer than human hair with a surface area forty times greater than conventional materials – creates a positive electrical charge that attracts and holds dust which is not released until laundered. The item is then taken through to the second section of the unit, which is sealed to reduce airborne bacteria and viruses, and steam cleaned using OspreyDeepclean equipment. Lastly an ozone fogging machine, reported to reduce MRSA by 100%, is used. After the full decontamination process is complete the item can then be returned to the ward. With a planned deep clean programme a ward of beds can be cleaned with minimum disruption for patients and hospital staff. "The static decontamination unit gives very significant benefits in terms of speed of decontamination," states John Mills, director of estates and facilities at the South London Healthcare NHS Trust. "A typical four-bed ward can have all its bed space furniture cleaned within around 90 minutes.While this takes place, other ISS personnel can get into the bay, and thoroughly clean all the surfaces, curtains, and carpets etc."
Temp to perm
The permanent unit follows on from the success of a previous ISS Mediclean initiative; the mobile decontamination unit. Mobile units are built into the back of dedicated vehicles and have the same technology as the permanent unit in delivering clinical cleaning to any healthcare facility. "The hospital had the first ISS Mediclean mobile unit on free trial for two weeks this January, and was highly impressed with it.As a result this led to the development, and now the permanent location here, of the static decontamination unit," said Pam Keeling, mobile healthcare cleaning manager at ISS Mediclean, speaking at the August launch of the permanent unit at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital."Not only will the disruption usually experienced by patients and hospital staff during deep cleaning programmes be greatly reduced, but the incorporation of the static units into hospital practices will boost public and patient confidence." "Initiatives such as this should help make patients feel more confident they are entering a clinically clean environment,"added Collette Sweeney, ISS Mediclean product development manager. More articles from ISS Mediclean: |
