Microfibre system impresses NHS Foundation Trust

An investment in Vileda Professional's microfibre Swep floor cleaning system is helping to cut running costs at the Basingstoke and North Hampshire NHS Foundation Trust (BNHFT). It's all part of 'The Prudence Project', which encourages staff to identify efficiency improvements.

The Foundation Trust delivers acute hospital services to around 300,000 patients in Basingstoke, as well as surrounding towns and villages in North Hampshire and West Berkshire.

"It's an important and essential development, particularly in the current climate of funding cutbacks and cost saving measures," says BNHFT facilities manager,Andrew Buckley."Our challenge was to find innovative ways to do this without cutting corners on patient care or increasing the risk of healthcare acquired infections." Andrew first started trials with microfibre cleaning systems in 2009."There's no doubt that microfibre cleans more deeply than standard appliances," says Andrew." Vileda's Swep floor cleaning system combined with its Origo trolley scored highly on cost, quality and appropriateness." Andrew was also impressed with Vileda's implementation, training and product support. As a result, earlier this year,Vileda Professional was given sole supplier status by BHNFT for all the microfibre floor cleaning systems. It's a £100,000 investment that also includes the installation of an Otex laundry system to launder the microfibre mop heads. The hospital's 100 operatives were trained by Vileda Professional to ensure they know how to get the most effective results from the new equipment.

"Whilst it's early days,we're delighted with how things are going," says Andrew."There is a large upfront cost, but we're sure that moving to Vileda's Swep system will save money in the long run.

Microfibres are just one part of an effective infection control programme. But all the signs are that we're delivering the results to meet the 'Clean Hospitals Agenda' whilst cutting our costs, which is what we set out to do."