On going to the local unit for dialysis last night, I was shown to one of the side rooms, normally set aside for isolation, but also used for general use when required – which is fine.

On checking the machine in preparation, I find that although the room has been steam cleaned after a previous isolation use, the machine has blood ingrained in the body of the machine, and on the control services. I was able to clean this off easily with a sterile wipe. On complaining about this to the sister in charge, she shrugged her shoulders and I did not see her at any time during the session to come and check on the issue. Complacency is NOT acceptable, and I find this incredibly annoying.

There are an increasing number of ‘rules’ to do with cleanliness given down from on high in Leicester, who ‘manage’ the unit, but shame the basics from the unit and also the hospital porters who carry out the steam cleaning lack any attention to detail. This is the second time in a week that I have had to clean blood off a machine’s control surfaces. The method of cleaning using bleaching agents is not enough, and the desire to rush to the next shift means that the machines, whilst might get a reasonably full wipe down, are not properly cleaned.

I suggest the management of the unit needs to pay closer attention to the whole process.

I accept that there is pressure to get a large number of patients ‘through the mill’ at handover, but the fact that staff that have resigned have not been efficiently replaced has increased pressures and as such procedures start to fall short of acceptable. Add to the fact that with the pressure due to staff shortages, this has increased the incidence of sickness, and is evident when the numbers of trained nursing staff is trimmed to dangerously low levels covering the shifts, we see the general downward spiral, which you can witness in any business when things are not kept in tight control.

I could go on about dialysate running out, no plasters…. blah, blah, blah!

I  must stop being a grumpy old bugger! (But yes, I am still angry about being presented with dirty machines).

Tags: attitude, dialysis, organisation, planning