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Schools and businesses reopening can check their cleaning standards with the NHS Deep Cleaning and Advisory Service
For the first time in England, domestic cleaning in public spaces has been standardised with an official protocol developed within the NHS in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The NHS Deep Cleaning and Advisory Service will audit and train domestic cleaning staff with a protocol that can be measured and audited. The Service was developed in the North East of England, by NTH Solutions, a subsidiary of the North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust, and is now being rolled out by NTH Solutions on a national scale.
The new Service offers a training course in ‘Cleaning the NHS way’, which was recently accredited by the Royal Society of Public Health (RSPH). Up until now, organisations have been relying purely on ‘guidance’ from HSE and Public Health England for the maintenance of cleanliness and hygiene on their premises.
The aim of the Service is to help elevate the standard of domestic cleaning in public spaces across England, and consequently help reduce the number of hospital admissions from bacterial and viral diseases (including but not limited to Covid-19).
Using the NHS protocol, since last April, the Service has already audited and offered assurance of cleanliness and hygiene services to over 130 schools across the country, as well as clients in a wide variety of industries, from the Sue Ryder charity and the Cleveland Police. The Service is available to commercial and business organisations as well.
Organisations looking for support with their domestic cleaning can invest in training for their staff to ‘Clean the NHS Way’. The training has been rolled out across the nation in an easy to understand course designed with suitability for those whose first language is not English. The course is examined (rather than accreditation by attendance only) and requires a pass mark before RSPH branded certification is awarded.
Deep cleaning and bio-decontamination services are also available directly through the NHS Deep Cleaning and Advisory service. Profits generated by the service are reinvested back into NHS Trusts towards improving frontline patient care and treatment.
Tony Sullivan, Environmental and Decontamination Manager at the NHS Deep Cleaning and Advisory Service, said: “People use the word “clean” so much that it has a fairly wide definition. By implementing the NHS protocol we’re trying to create a baseline that people can measure, especially as children are going back to school. Ultimately, proper cleaning protocols in all public spaces can not only protect us during this pandemic, but they can reduce the risk of another one happening.”
Maura Regan OBE DL, Chief Executive Officer of Bishop Hogarth Catholic Education Trust, said: “As CEO of a large Trust in the North East I believe that it is imperative that we do everything in our power to ensure the safety of pupils and staff. Clearly, we follow all the guidelines, but in addition having the support of an NHS service ensures that our schools are made as safe as possible during this pandemic. We will continue to partner with the NHS Deep Cleaning and Advisory Service beyond the pandemic because of the high-quality service they provide.”
The Deep Cleaning and Advisory Service began as part of the offering from NTH Solutions, headquartered at the North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust. Its success has led to the national roll-out.
Dr Deepak Dwarakanath, Medical Director at North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust, added: “I’m really proud of the team behind the NHS Deep Cleaning and Advisory Service, which is based here at our Trust, for their dedication and drive in bringing this service to the wider community. By extending the NHS standard through the Service, it is not only enhancing cleaning procedures for each organisation it works with but also educating the public on how to prevent the spread of infection. That is the key to fighting this pandemic.”
Mike Worden, Managing Director of the NHS Deep Cleaning and Advisory Service, said: “The NHS Deep Cleaning and Advisory Service was born out of our own protocols and efforts from delivering services to North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust, to help fight the coronavirus pandemic in our local community in Stockton and Hartlepool. We wanted to help protect the wider community with the same level of assurance we provide within the hospital, and extend our NHS standards and way of cleaning, therefore enabling a greater level of assurance in community prevention.”
