Hospital that breached hygiene regulations has now improved infection control

Homerton University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust was served an improvement notice in December after it failed a two-day snap hygiene inspection.

The notice was lifted after the Healthcare Commission made a follow-up visit last month, which found the trust had improved its procedures.

Christine Braithwaite, head of the Commission’s inspection programme, said: ‘We’re pleased the trust has addressed the failings of its infection prevention and control practices we identified last year.’

‘We will continue to monitor the trust to ensure that they maintain the good practice they have developed and that infection prevention and control remains a top priority.’

Last year’s unannounced visit by cleanliness inspectors checked whether the trust was following the hygiene code to prevent and manage HAIs.

It discovered inadequate decontamination of equipment like endoscopes, mandatory staff training and follow-up to internal audits.

Pauline Brown, the hospital’s chief nurse said: ‘We are pleased that this improvement notice has been lifted and that the Healthcare Commission is satisfied with the work we have done over the past few months to remedy the issues they had raised.’

• Related article: Healthcare Commission slams Homerton hospital over infection control

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