A report on infection prevention and control measures at Medway Maritime Hospital in Gillingham, has found a number of failings.

The Care Quality Commission has today published a report following an inspection of the hospital last month, and highlighted areas requiring improvement.

A summary of findings noted leaders had the skills but "did not always have the capabilities to manage infection prevention and control (IPC)", and "did not always have the capacity to support all staff due to the lack of leadership stability and vacancies within a new IPC team", but it said the trust was recruiting in an effort to strengthen capacity.

The CQC report noted the trust did not have "comprehensive governance systems to support IPC standards", and there was no standardised approach to reporting from leaders of each care group and inconsistent attendance at the trust’s IPC committee.

Furthermore the Medway NHS Foundation Trust did not always collect reliable or consistent IPC data and analyse it, which made it difficult to track improvements and variations.

Another key finding stated there was no dedicated clinical handwash basin in the adult discharge lounge, and staff could not readily access clinical handwashing facilities to clean their hands appropriately, with the only handwashing facilities in the sluice or the two patient toilets.

There was also a lack of space with general clutter and poor layout in the therapies department, which did not allow efficient cleaning and is a risk to infection control.

The report also stated that not all staff felt respected, supported and valued, adding: "Some housekeeping staff experienced bullying within their teams. Some staff said they did not feel respected and did not receive support from senior leadership."

However it also noted a number of positive findings, stating leaders on ward levels understood and managed the priorities to manage IPC, and "supported staff to develop their skills and understanding of IPC measures."

It also found the trust had a vision and strategy that included IPC, most leaders were visible and approachable in the service for patients and staff, and the trust had an open culture where staff could raise IPC concerns without fear.

Leaders also used systems to manage performance effectively, collaborated with partner organisations to help improve services for patients, and staff were committed to continually learning and improving services.

The Medway NHS Foundation Trust said immediate steps were taken to carry out improvements following feedback from the inspection.

Chief Executive Dr George Findlay said: “Keeping patients and staff safe is always our number one priority.

“I am pleased that the CQC has acknowledged the importance that the trust places on having robust infection prevention and control measures in place and has identified some areas of good practice. However, we know that there is still more work for us to do.

“We have implemented an improvement plan to further improve our infection prevention and control practices, and to ensure our staff are supported in consistently providing safe, high quality patient care.”

Recent improvements at the trust include additional staffing to support the IPC team, as well as increased compliance with IPC standards and the launch of a more robust process for investigating hospital acquired infections.

An improved governance and audit processes has also been introduced to ensure compliance with IPC standards.

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