Hospital hygiene standards falling

LONDON (Reuters) - About a quarter of hospital trusts are failing to meet key hygiene standards, annual figures released by the NHS watchdog on Monday showed.

A total of 99 of the 394 NHS trusts in England said they could not meet one or more aspects of the code, the Healthcare Commission said.

Hygiene, involving infection control, decontamination and healthcare environment, was a particular problem.

The Patients' Association called the figures disappointing and disturbing.

The number of trusts declaring compliance with infection control fell 6.8 percent in 2006/7 compared with 2005/6, with total compliance now standing at 86 percent.

Trusts did best in meeting standards covering professional codes of practice and openness.

But a total of 56 trusts, 14.3 percent, said they could not deal properly with decontamination, a worsening state from the 12.6 percent the previous year.

Fifty-five trusts, 14 percent, said they did not have the systems to ensure the risk of infection was reduced for patients, staff or visitors, doubling from 7.2 percent the year before.

Forty-three trusts, 11 percent, could not say that their healthcare services were being provided in well-designed and well-maintained environments, a worsening condition from the 8.5 percent in 2005/6.