Health trust fails hygiene codes

The CQC said it knew the trust was taking the issues seriously

The Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust (RCHT) failed to meet government infection control standards, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) has said.

The trust has accepted it did not comply with all three of the government's hygiene code standards in the year, to the end of March 2009.

The CQC said it was concerned over any trust which failed to meet standards.

Local NHS managers said they had already improved their performance, but admitted there was still much to do.

The trust was one of 10 trusts across the country that failed to meet the three hygiene code standards, along with Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust, which also covers some of Cornwall.

The RCHT said it expected to be listed as "weak" in its annual performance rating for the fourth successive year after it missed 26 out of 44 targets, including the three hygiene code standards.

My view is that anybody coming into hospital now should have nothing to fear Peter Colclough, RCHT

Acting trust chief executive Peter Colclough said the trust had been "investing significantly" in its cleaning programmes and improving hygiene.

He said the trust had had 44 cases of MRSA during the year covered by the report, but that more than 34 of them occurred during first six months.

He said new cleaning programmes were then introduced and that only 10 cases occurred during the last six months which showed progress.

"My view is that anybody coming into hospital now should have nothing to fear about healthcare acquired infections," said Mr Colclough.

"If we're able to maintain the performance of the last nine months, we'll be among the top performers in the country this time next year."

Although the CQC said it was concerned over trusts which failed to meet standards, it added it was "good news" when a trust owned up to a problem as it suggested moves were afoot to rectify it.

Ian Biggs of the CQC added the RCHT was taking the issues "extremely seriously".

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