By Emily Parsons

Last updated at 08:48, Wednesday, 06 March 2013

Staff have rated north Cumbria’s hospitals as among the worst in the country – with half claiming they lack basic hand-washing materials.

Estephanie Dunn

People working at both the Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle and the West Cumberland Hospital in Whitehaven were invited to complete the 2012 national NHS staff survey.

Their responses ranked the North Cumbria University Hospitals Trust in the bottom 20 per cent, with a large proportion claiming they would not recommend it as a place to work or receive treatment.

Among the most shocking statistics was that when asked whether “hand-washing materials are always available”, barely half of staff agreed. The national average is 60 per cent.

Estephanie Dunn, operational manager for the Royal College of Nursing, said: “It was particularly shocking to see that only 52 per cent of staff reported that hand-washing materials were always available.

“Hand-washing implements are fundamental to patient and staff safety, and it is completely unacceptable – and unbelievable – that this simple yet life-saving provision is not always in place, especially given that the trust has a positive history of managing infection control.”

Dallan McGleenan, branch secretary for the Cumbria health branch of the union Unison, added: “Every single area is an area for concern.

“But it is also very concerning that not all of our nurses can get breaks that they are entitled to and need.”

Damian Gallagher, director of human resources and organisational development, said the trust views hand-washing as the “single most important” way of tackling the spread of infection, insisting every ward and department has basins with soap and water, as well as hand gel dispensers at every ward entrance.

“Although it may seem like a relatively simple idea, practising good hand hygiene is actually one of the best defences against the spread of infections and everyone can play their part,” he added.

Other areas for concern within the report include a rise in the number of staff members who admit to witnessing “potentially harmful errors, near misses or incidents in the last month” – 38 per cent – and an increasing number of staff suffering work-related stress, up to 43 per cent from 32 per cent.

The trust also performed poorly in communication with senior staff, incidents of bullying and harassment by both staff and patients and the fairness and effectiveness of incident reporting procedures.

However, it was praised for its lower than average number of staff working extra hours, its improved diversity and equality training and a reduction in staff experiencing discrimination.

Ms Dunn said the survey demonstrates that “morale is at breaking point”.

Both she and Mr McGleenan highlighted that the unions have raised concerns over many of these issues in the past, but that the impending acquisition by Northumbria Healthcare could bring changes.

Mr McGleenan said: “Any management team that comes in and tries to effect positive change cannot do it overnight, but what we expect is slow and gradual progress.”

Responding to the concerns, Mr Gallagher said: “We recognise this has been another challenging year for both the NHS.

“We will be looking in detail at the findings and are fully committed to addressing the concerns of staff in partnership with Northumbria.”

He explained that a lot of work has already begun to improve the working lives of staff, including a well-being campaign.

“Senior managers are carrying out walkabouts in their areas and focus groups have been held to encourage staff to get involved and participate in discussions,” Mr Gallagher continued.

“Our staff are the lifeblood of our hospitals and the reason why more than 70 per cent of our patients are satisfied with the care they receive from us.

“There can be no escaping the many challenges our organisation has faced over recent years, however we are absolutely committed to making sure that each and every member of staff has a voice in making positive changes for the future.”

First published at 08:47, Wednesday, 06 March 2013
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk