Four sources told the Star they feel they are not being given the tools they need to carry out their jobs properly –and as a result hygiene standards are slipping.
But cleaning contractor ISS, which employs 14,500 cleaners across the NHS with the motto ‘People Serving People’, said it would never compromise patient safety.
On Monday, the Star revealed a whistleblower’s claims that cleaners at the hospital were left without any chemicals to disinfect the wards for four days last week.
It comes as ISS enters a 30-day consultation period with contract staff who face cuts to their working hours following a number of redundancies last year.
Fresh claims today emerged that cleaners regularly run out of disinfectant, clinical waste bags and other vital supplies, while allegedly being told they cannot use supplies from neighbouring wards.
One source said: “If my family had to go into hospital I would not want it to be at Ipswich. The place is not clean enough, it is not good for patients.
“It is reaching crisis point. I am surprised the trust isn’t concerned.”
Another told the Star they were directed at a recent meeting to only clean with cold water.
The source said: “We think standards have slipped since ISS took over the cleaning contract two years ago.
“We regularly run out of chemicals or clinical waste bags and we are told we are not allowed to use hot water. And the laundry bags we have to use are getting thinner so we have to double up.
“They seem to skimp on everything. Lots of patients have already commented that it seems to be slipping.”
On Sunday night when the initial claims emerged, a senior manager at Ipswich Hospital, joined by a senior ISS manager, made an unannounced inspection of all wards and hospital departments to check the levels of cleaning supplies.
Cath Gorman, associate director of nursing and quality, told the Star: “Everything was found to be in order.”
But one source, who said they were left without chemicals again yesterday, said the supplies in place for the inspection were removed soon after and not available to cleaning staff.
Responding to that claim, an ISS spokesman said: “We have no reason to believe that would be the case.”
He added: “We explained that the use of modern cleaning materials ensures that the procedures used at Ipswich Hospital are clinically safe.
“Patient safety is top of everybody’s agenda, there is absolutely no way we or the trust would want to compromise that.”
An Ipswich Hospital manager today revealed the trust has launched a full investigation in the claims of slipping hygiene standards.
Cath Gorman, associate director of nursing and quality at the hospital, said: “A safe and clean hospital is the top priority for us.
“I have already launched a formal investigation and have been speaking to very senior ISS managers so that we can work together to establish the facts and address any concerns that ISS staff have, particularly so they know how they can raise any concerns immediately.”
source: eadt.co.uk
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