Altnaglevin Hospital, Londonderry - 22 November 2011

Additional Issue
In Ward 8 the lift lobby used to transport patients to theatre was
cluttered and untidy with waste bins and broken equipment. The
inspectors observed a patient going to theatre being wheeled through
this area; this does not promote a good public perception of the ward
environment. From a patient’s perspective going to theatre through a
cluttered service corridor is not conducive to providing a relaxed,
reassuring experience.
6.3 Maintenance and Repair
In all wards there was some damage to walls, doors, flooring, paint and
laminate finishes. In Ward 3, which had just been refurbished, the
walls had been painted but there were still holes in the wall where
fittings had been removed and not been replaced or the holes repaired.
Damaged electrical sockets were noted behind a bed in bed Bay L.
In Ward 40 there was a small gouged hole in the floor of bed Bay B
approximately one inch deep, thus this section of the flooring could not
be effectively cleaned and it was not impervious to moisture. In the
domestic store there was some minor paintwork damage and perished
plaster causing a hole in the wall under the equipment sink; the
damage was previously caused by a leak in the pipework behind the
wall. On inspection of the pipework a dripping sound was heard and
the domestic stated that the leak has recurred. The tiled floor in the
dirty utility room had been repaired, sections of the floor had been replastered,
however this was rough and unsealed, therefore unable to
be effectively cleaned.
The bedpan washers in Ward 8 and Ward 40 were out of order. In
Ward 31 staff said the bedpan washer was not washing effectively and
they were therefore carrying out a manual bedpan pre-wash. The
maintenance and repair of the bedpans washers should be actioned as
a matter of urgency.
6.4 Fixtures and fittings
The chairs in the main entrance were finished in a washable fabric,
however they were showing signs of wear. There were also two large
A&E porter chairs, the arm of one had been repaired with masking tape
and the frame of the other was damaged. Chairs in Wards 3 and 8
were also noted to be worn and in Ward 3, 31 and 40 the bedframes
were chipped or damaged.
In Ward 3 some of the curtains had shrunk and the toilet roll holder in
the public toilet and in a patient ward toilet was broken, the drip tray for
the bedpan rack was missing. In Ward 8 the toilet roll dispenser in the
shower room was also broken, there was no bedpan rack or tray and
the frame of the raised toilet seat was rusty.
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