Monklands Hospital inspectors report damaged walls and toilets in disrepair

3 July 2019, 13:41

Inspectors found several issues with the fabric of a hospital building when they carried out an unannounced visit earlier this year.

Damage to walls and floors, and toilets and shower rooms in a poor state of repair, were some of the issues noted during an inspection of University Hospital Monklands in Airdrie, North Lanarkshire.

Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) also found dust on equipment in the emergency department when they attended in April.

The inspection body has issued NHS Lanarkshire with three requirements for action and the health board said it has a plan in place.

Monklands is a district general hospital with a 24-hour accident and emergency department. Services at the facility include a renal unit, and medical and surgical inpatient departments.

The health board has been considering future options as the facility is more than 40 years old, and the hospital is set to be rebuilt in a new location.

The inspection team, which visited from April 23-25, found evidence of good practice for the majority of standard infection control precautions.

The cleanliness of the theatre department and the equipment in it was described as excellent.

However, HIS said the fabric of the building and toilet facilities must be maintained to allow for effective cleaning, while plans progress for the new hospital.

"We found several issues with the fabric of the building," the report said.

"Within many of the areas we inspected we saw: damage to walls, flooring and exposed wood; toilets and shower rooms in a poor state of repair; chipped and stained doors; chipped, damaged and unfinished paintwork; water damage to walls beside a sluice machine, and duct tape on window frames."

In several areas of the hospital, all toilet seats inspected were described as "stained and contaminated".

In the emergency department, inspectors saw sticky residue and dust on toys, dust and grime on equipment used to examine eyes and ears, and dust on the bases of portable equipment, according to the report.

Dusty worktops and cupboards, poor storage and heavy dust and grit on the floor where staff could not access it for cleaning were also noted in the department, although HIS said the majority of those issues had been rectified by the following day.

Ian Smith, head of quality of care at HIS, said: "Inspectors found examples of good practice for the majority of standard infection control precautions and observed good working relationships between support services, ward staff and the infection control team, and the environmental and equipment cleanliness of the theatre department was excellent.

"However to improve care, NHS Lanarkshire must ensure that the building and facilities are maintained to allow for effective cleaning whilst plans progress for the new hospital."

Clare Mitchell, the interim head of the infection prevention and control department at NHS Lanarkshire, said: "The report recognises the good practice that goes on for the majority of standard infection control precautions, as well as the good working relationships between staff.

"We are particularly pleased that the cleanliness of the theatre department was reported as excellent.

"We recognise that some further improvements are required and already have an action plan in place to achieve this.

"University Hospital Monklands is an ageing building which requires a high level of maintenance and we are committed to maintaining the building to the best possible standard of cleanliness until such times as we are able to replace the building."