Health Care
More cleaners = cleaner hospitals
UNISON's action plan for cleaner hospitals
Dirty hospitals increase the risk of hospital acquired infections such as MRSA and are unacceptable to patients and staff.
Yet the number of cleaners working in the NHS has halved in the last 20 years.
UNISON believes that more and better-trained cleaning staff are key to improving standards of hospital cleanliness.
Hospitals need to have sufficient, properly trained and equipped cleaning staff, who are valued and rewarded as an important part of the healthcare team.
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(18/04/07) UNISON outlines recommendations to prevent patients becoming infectedClean uniforms prevent infection
(26/04/06) Hospital workers call for better laundry facilities to beat MRSATwo thirds of hospitals fail cleanliness test
(15/12/05) New survey reveals “too many” hospitals not delivering on hygieneCleaners' voices: interviews with hospital cleaning staff
(27/01/05) UNISON lifts the veil on the day to day reality of working life for hospital cleaners< Back | More >
UNISON general secretary Dave Prentis:
"The 'market' halved the number of cleaners, cut their pay and conditions, and standards plummeted. Now, spiralling hospital acquired infections cost the NHS more than £1 billion and at least 5,000 lives a year.
"We want to shift the focus onto the failures of the contracting process and under resourcing of staff - we need more cleaners and sufficient equipment if we are to achieve decent levels of hygiene in our hospitals."
Download: "Hospital contract cleaning and infections" (PDF)
Download: "Cleaners' voices: interviews with hospital cleaning staff" (PDF)
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