East Surrey Hospital slammed over "third world" hygiene standards

BLOOD-STAINED mattresses and curtains soiled with blood were among hygiene lapses revealed in a spot check at East Surrey Hospital.

A shocking report by the inspection watchdog Care Quality Commission (CQC) slams hygiene failures at the hospital, which is Crawley residents' main port of call for emergency and maternity care.

An inspection by the CQC, carried out at the end of January, saw the hospital meet 13 out of 16 measures of a hygiene code.

However, key failings were also highlighted, which has led East Surrey bosses to admit the hospital has "let our patients down".

Swift action has now been taken to remedy the remaining failures, the Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust said.

However, West Sussex County Council leader Henry Smith called the report "appalling."

The Tory candidate for the forthcoming general election in Crawley said: "The descriptions of soiled commodes ready for use, blood stained mattresses and needles lying around are worse than third world conditions."

SLAMMED: East Surrey Hospital

Summing up conditions at the hospital, the CQC said: "On inspection, we found evidence that the trust has breached the regulation to protect patients, workers and others from the risk of acquiring a healthcare-associated infection".

But the report acknowledged there was no cause for concern over 13 hygiene measures "and found areas of improvement in the remaining three".

Following the report, chief executive Gail Wannell apologised to patients, relatives and visitors.

She said: "We had been compliant with the hygiene standards since they were brought in and are very disappointed that on this occasion we have let our patients and ourselves down.

" We have learnt from this and can assure our community that the majority of the actions have already been carried out."

WHAT THE REPORT SAYS

The damning report makes several damaging allegations about hygiene standards at East Surrey:

* Ten soiled commodes were found in areas within patients' reach.

* Two out of five privacy curtains were soiled with blood.

* No consistently used mechanism in the trust to identify when patient equipment had been cleaned.

* In the acute medical unit, two trolley mattresses were badly soiled. One, made up ready for use in A&E, had a "foul odour" and the inner foam was wet.

* Inspectors found dirt and debris, including a needle, beneath the mattress on two trolleys and blood stains on the underside of the mattress on two others.

* Nurses were said to be unclear about cleaning procedures, including the use of equipment for body fluid spillages.