Hygiene & cleanliness audits, infection control procedures, healthcare associated infections (HAI’s) & hand washing techniques… These are just a few of the healthcare sector terms that the general public have been made aware of since the HSE introduced the national hygiene audits in 2005. Consequently, hygiene standards and the way the HSE has reacted to these issues have been seriously scrutinised by the media, in the Dáil and on the streets.

With this said, through successive national hygiene audits and with hygiene awareness campaigns, healthcare standards in Ireland are slowly improving. Although, there’s a long way to go to renew public confidence, reduce the incidences of HAI’s and match the high standards of some of our European neighbours.

HIQA the agency responsible for developing the standards for health and social care settings and ensuring they are being met, has outlined a comprehensive series of standards for hospitals and residential care settings. Healthcare facilities have a set period of time by which to become compliant.  

We can help any healthcare facility to be better prepared for all forthcoming hygiene audits by HIQA. 

Using our auditing package we have input the HIQA standards and requirements into our auditing tool and we can:

- Input your building and room floor plans into the system                                           

- Monitor all rooms in accordance with the relevant hygiene standards as set out by the HSE and implemented by HIQA

- Manage appropriate staffing levels in accordance with specific cleaning functions

- Identify what level of specification can be accommodated within given budgetary limits

- Ensure that all cleaning functions are properly deployed and balanced across the organisation’s premises

- Highlight poor performance in specific areas, provide solutions and training and ongoing monitoring

- Provide a comprehensive management tool to produce reports on almost any aspect of cleaning in line with national standards

- Monitor standards using more efficient hand held computer systems rather than the clip boards and paper system

This auditing tool is not just restricted to the healthcare sector; we have successfully introduced it to the retail, hospitality, GMP, airline and general business sectors.