BGH report raises questions

Borderers will no doubt be shocked at the damning report on infection control compiled by the Health Environment Inspectorate following a visit to the Borders General Hospital earlier this year.
Among the points raised by the inspectors were that there was no consideration of risk for patients, staff and visitors in Ward 8 and there was a consistent lack of attention to cleaning floor edgings and corners.
Although the inspectors reported that the overall perception of cleanliness in the hospital was good, bosses were told to improve cleaning methods.
A high level of cleanliness in a hospital should be a given, no excuses. However, ensuring a public hospital maintains that, day in, day out, is a massive undertaking for cleaning and nursing staff, particularly if vacancies are not being filled because of budget contraints.
So, perhaps some of the questions that need to be asked are: Does the BGH employ enough staff to carry out the necessary work? Are nurses given the training and support they need to ensure guidelines are followed? It would seem not.
Senior ward staff were reported to have said they are not supported by top hospital staff. BGH managers have put a comprehensive action plan in place to ensure that the recommendations in the report are acted on immediately, but any improvements are likely to suffer if staffing levels are too low to realistically sustain them.
As managers, they have a duty of care for staff as well as patients, and it is not difficult to see that if you get the first one right, the second will follow.