| Two members of domestic services staff contacted the Tele and alleged cleaners were often left without mops to clean the floors of the hospital due to a backlog in the Ninewells laundry service.
The frustrated cleaners said they were forced to speak out after five elderly patients died in 18 days at Ninewells after contracting the C.diff infection.
“We didn’t even have any mops to clean the hospital on Monday,” said one of the cleaners.
“There is a problem with laundry which means they often don’t have mops for us.
“We have been told the laundry can’t keep up with the demand. This is happening on a regular basis. It is especially a regular occurrence on a Monday morning because the laundry is closed over the weekend.”
The domestic services employee said it would be unfair to hold the cleaning staff responsible for the recent outbreak, as they are not being provided with adequate equipment to maintain a hygienic environment.
“The cleaners always get the blame when there is an outbreak of something like this, but how are we supposed to do our jobs properly if we do not have the equipment to do it?” she said.
“I don’t want the cleaners to get the blame again, it is not fair. We all work really hard but they won’t even give us mops to clean the floors properly.”
Her view was echoed by another cleaner.
“We’ve got a new mopping system and sometimes you can’t get mops.
“If they run out of mops over the weekend when the laundry is locked then we’re told to ‘just do what you can’.
“All we use to clean the hospital is a washing detergent and we use that on floors, to wash down tables, lockers, everything.
“Everyone’s fed up with it — it’s an ongoing thing.
“Whenever something like this happens it’s the domestics that seem to be the targets, but we don’t have the equipment to clean properly.”
NHS Tayside was investigating the allegations as the Tele went to press. |
