A poll of more than 200,000 employees, conducted by the Healthcare Commission, has revealed alarming shortfalls in NHS hygiene, supposedly a key priority for the Government in its attempt to reduce hospital-acquired infections.

The survey found that one in four members of staff felt that the trust they worked for did not do enough to promote the importance of cleaning hands to staff, patients and visitors.

Only 61 per cent of respondents, said that their trusts had hot water, soap, alcohol rubs and paper towels available at all times. A further 28 per cent reported high levels of handcleaning equipment, but one in five NHS workers said that they never had access to such facilities. The commission, the NHS watchdog, described the findings as a worrying neglect of a prerequisite of good healthcare. A total of 51 per cent of staff said that they had received training, learning or development about infection control in the past 12 months — suggesting that half had not.

Hospital-acquired infections, such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Clostridium difficile, have been associated with a growing number of deaths in recent years, prompting a government crackdown on poor hygiene.

A total of 7,212 cases of MRSA bloodstream infection were detected in English hospitals in 2004-05. Experts suggest that up to 300,000 infections are picked up in healthcare settings every year, causing 5,000 deaths and costing the NHS as much as £1 billion.

The National Survey of NHS Staff, published today, also highlights other areas where “significant action” is needed, including initiatives to tackle violence and discrimination.

Despite a drop in the number of workers saying that they were abused by patients or their relatives, only half thought that their health trust would take “effective action” if staff were physically attacked.

Of the 209,000 members of staff across 570 trusts in England who completed the survey — the largest poll of health workers ever conducted — 28 per cent said that they had experienced violence or abuse in the previous 12 months. This compared with 31 per cent in 2004 and 32 per cent in 2003.

Questions added to the survey this year found that some staff felt discriminated against.

Overall, 7 per cent had experienced discrimination in the previous 12 months, with 3 per cent saying that it was because of their ethnic background (including 17 per cent of respondents from black and minority ethnic backgrounds) and 1 per cent because of gender. Less than 1 per cent said that it was because of religion or sexual orientation and 7 per cent of disabled staff said that they had suffered discrimination because of their disability.

The commission said that the relatively high percentage of black and minority ethnic staff reporting discrimination was a cause of concern.

However, it said that the survey suggested that NHS workers were “generally satisfied with their jobs”. It found that staff felt there was good access to training and flexible working opportunities and support for childcare.

Anna Walker, the chief executive of the commission, said that it was heartening to see the downward trend in reports of violence, harassment and bullying. But she said that work was needed to address hygiene shortcomings. “A high standard of hand hygiene is a prerequisite of safe healthcare and this is undermined if the basic facilities for cleaning hands are not always available,” she said.

A spokesman for the Department of Health welcomed the positive findings and said that it was “pleasing to note that “nearly 90 per cent of staff felt that hand hygiene facilities were available either always or most of the time”.

BAD PERFORMERS

NHS hospital trusts that have the lowest staff access to basic hand-cleaning facilities (percentage of respondents who said that they were always able to get soap, hot water, paper towels and alcohol rubs)

1 Barnet & Chase Farm Hospitals 46%

2 North West London Hospitals 47%

3 Ealing Hospital 48%
Kingston Hospital 48%
King’s College Hospital 48%
Hammersmith Hospitals 48%

7 Mayday Healthcare 49%

8 Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children 50%

9 Central Manchester & Manchester Children’s University Hospitals 51% Royal Free Hampstead51% St Mary’s 51%

Times Recommends

• Forces chief faces new battle - the economy
• Seven days that shook the world
• Icelanders wake up and smell ... the fish