Cleaning up the NHS

UNISON is urging health ministers to bring back hospital cleaners, whose number has almost halved in the past 20 years.

The union believes more cleaners on the wards would reassure the public and help stamp out superbugs such as MRSA and c.difficile.

The union welcomed the ‘deep clean’ initiative announced last year but said it should be used to kick-start better day-to-day cleaning of hospital wards and departments.

It has warned that to do that effectively, the government needs to set recruitment targets for NHS cleaners.

“We are calling for a meeting between health ministers, UNISON and hospital cleaners to give them an insight into hospital cleaning on the front line,” said UNISON head of health Karen Jennings.

“The government has looked at the dangers of hospital-acquired infections from all angles except for employing more cleaners.

“A recruitment drive with government targets would speed up the urgently-needed return of cleaners to our hospitals, so that patients and the public see for themselves cleaner, safer wards.”