Shropshire hospital named cleanest for fifth year running in national patient survey
A specialist orthopaedic hospital in Shropshire has topped a national patient survey for the fifth consecutive year - earning praise for the cleanliness of its wards and patient rooms.
The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital (RJAH), near Oswestry, received the highest score in the Care Quality Commission's (CQC) Adult Inpatient Survey, which asked patients who stayed in hospital for at least one night during November last year to rate their experiences.
Questions included "how clean was the hospital or ward?" Respondents were asked to give a mark out of 10.
RJAH came out on top with an average score of 9.9. The hospital was also named amongst just eight NHS trusts placed in the top band of hospital trusts delivering results that are considered "much better than expected".
Martine Williams, Facilities Manager, said: "The team is made up of Cleanliness Technicians who lead on the day-to-day cleaning of the hospital, Housekeepers who support with additional cleaning requirements such as beds, kitchens and other patient areas, and the Patient Environment Action Team (PEAT) who carry out reactive and enhanced cleaning.
"They all work tirelessly throughout the year to ensure every ward and department is cleaned to the highest possible standard. They take immense pride in their work, and to be recognised by our patients as the cleanest hospital in the country is extremely rewarding."
This recognition follows a glowing CQC report, which highlighted the hospital’s excellence in surgical and critical care services.
RJAH’s cleaning team is no stranger to national recognition - last year they were invited to join the NHS Exemplar Trusts Programme for Cleaning, cementing their status as one of the top-performing teams in the country.
Out of 1,250 patients invited to take part in the latest inpatient survey at the Gobowen-based hospital, 863 responded.
Phil Davies, Head of Estates and Facilities, said: "It’s pleasing to see the number of trusts that score highly for cleanliness, I’m delighted that amongst strong competition we were able to place number one for the fifth year running. The results demonstrate that cleanliness remains a top priority for RJAH and the NHS.
"This achievement is a true testament to the consistent hard work and dedication of the whole team.
"All staff work rigorously, following national cleaning standards and infection prevention and control policies, to achieve the ultimate outcome, which is to reduce the risk of infection or illness to our patients."
