Altnaglevin Hospital, Londonderry - 22 November 2011

also evidence of communal products such as toothpaste, talcum
powder, shower gel and E45 cream.
Patients should be discouraged from leaving their soaps and shower
gels in the shower and on the wash hand basins. This will prevent the
use of communal products and help to reduce the risk of contamination
and possible spread of infection.
In Ward 40 some bed frames were dusty, this included one which had
been marked as cleaned on the 21 November 2011. A baby bath
cleansing solution and talcum powder had been left on the hand
washing sink in the bathroom and in the shower room, communal
toiletries and a tube of Tena cream wash were observed. The floor
and shelves in the equipment store were dusty, the room was cluttered
and untidy restricting effective cleaning, an issue also identified in
Ward 31.
In all four wards particular attention was required when cleaning
isolation rooms. In Ward 3, which had just been refurbished, the
flooring in Room H, had ground in stains, the top of the bedside table
was dusty and the laminate finish was damaged. The undercarriage of
the bed was dusty and there was minor damage to the frame. The
fabric of an armchair was torn, therefore the chair could not be
effectively cleaned and there were stains on the newly painted ceiling.
The room was cluttered with patients property, electrical equipment
and respiratory equipment, all of which prevent effective cleaning. In
Wards 8, 31 and 40, the floor required cleaning and in Ward 31 the
underside of the raised toilet seat and the top of the shower chair in the
en-suite were stained.
The inspectors noted three minimally compliant sections in Ward 8; the
bed area, clinical room and clean utility room, (which was a joint
examination and pharmacy room). The inspectors acknowledge that
this ward is in the older part of the hospital and there are estates issues
associated with age which have had a negative impact on some of the
score, however cleaning issues were identified. The floor of bed Bay D
and F, had ground in stains and the floor at the corners and under the
beds was dusty. The top of the bedside tables required cleaning and
bedside chairs were dusty, stained and showing signs of wear. The
undercarriage of some beds and wall shelving were also dusty. In the
treatment room there were stains on the external cupboard doors and
the medical gas alarm.
The ceiling light fitting and air vents were dusty, and there was
adhesive residue on the glass panel of the door. The plug, taps and
overflow on the hand washing sink at the nurses’ station were dirty, the
outside of the drugs fridge was stained, damaged, the door was not
locked. The window blinds in the examination room were broken and
dusty and the high density shelving in the pharmacy was dusty. The
foot stools in the clinical room and clean utility room required cleaning.
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