At Benenden Hospital our staff know how crucial it is to maintain our high standards of cleanliness to keep patients safe from the risk of infection. These measures are vital and our housekeeping team are a key group of people who ensure our rigorous hygiene standards are maintained.
Employed directly by the hospital, they ensure standards remain high and quite simply, are some of our unsung heroes who consistently go above and beyond to help ensure the hospital remains a clean and safe environment for all.
Award-winning Benenden Hospital housekeeping team
We are proud of our housekeeping team who have consistently ensure that the hospital facilities provide a clean and safe environment for both patients and visitors.
The team of 28, mainly part-time, housekeeping staff, is led by the Housekeeping Manager, Marian Chandler who is also a member of our Infection Prevention and Control team.
Marian speaks proudly of the impeccably clean hospital her housekeeping staff maintain: “We receive lots of positive patient feedback which is motivating and rewarding. Our housekeeping team has an excellent reputation and is highly thought of by everyone in our Care Quality Commission (CQC) rated Outstanding hospital, hence this contributed to us winning the Best of Benenden Award for Support Services Excellence – in 2016!”.The Best of Benenden Awards is an annual hospital event which began in 2015 and seeks to recognise staff achievements across all departments.
Dedicated to preventing and controlling infection
To prove our commitment to the development and optimisation of our preventative measures, we have had no cases of hospital-acquired infections such as MRSA or Clostridium Difficile (C.diff) as far as our records go back.
As well as our Housekeeping team, our hospital also has an on-site Decontamination Services (DS) team of 14 staff, who are responsible for the decontamination of reusable medical devices. DS encompasses our purpose-built Sterile Services Department (SSD) and our Endoscopy Decontamination Unit (EDU) which deals with the decontamination of reusable flexible endoscopes. At our hospital, we are proud to have our Decontamination Services on-site as it ensures quality standards are maintained, equipment is readily available to us and the process is responsive to meeting the needs of our patients.
As members of the Antibiotic Guardian scheme, we’re working hard to contribute to the safe use of antibiotics and to reduce antimicrobial resistance (AMR). This threatens the effective prevention and treatment of an ever-increasing range of infections.
Hand hygiene
Jo Lydon, our Clinical Lead Governance, explains why hand washing is essential in preventing the spread of infection at our hospital:
“At Benenden Hospital, our team of link practitioners take part in monthly handwashing audits in clinical areas which monitor the effectiveness of the hand hygiene practice of our staff. Assessments and training is also completed in non-clinical areas using a U.V. light box and torch. Compliance is always very high which is reflected in the infection rates post procedure as they are consistently low at 0.4%. This is a testament to the good work carried out by our staff.
“As we approach the winter months, hand washing is even more important to stop the spread of flu and other contagious illnesses. Everyone at our hospital, from staff to patients and visitors are reminded and encouraged to wash their hands with soap at critical times.
Researching hospital cleanliness
Today, more than ever, we’re conscious of hospital cleanliness and the risk of infection and it’s okay when approaching hospitals about treatment packages, to also enquire about their record on infection control and cleanliness. Keep reading as we explain How to research hospital infection control and cleanliness.
Find out more about our Infection Control team and their commitment to the development and maintenance of a safe environment for patients, staff and visitors.
Published on 14 October 2022