that obvious reservoirs and transmission vectors themselves can be subjugated by microbicides , obscure contamination , and unlikely vectors . For these reasons , an all-eventuality approach is currently employed alongside expected aesthetic obligations . It will take a paradigm shift to set up practices based on clinical risk and the educational base required for implementation . Perhaps the first step should be to extend guidelines and policies from basic surface cleaning in hospitals to specialized cleaning tasks , such as clinical and electrical equipment , cleanrooms , and high-level isolation units . Experience and qualification in such duties would help enhance the status of domestic personnel , which should be reflected by salary and career progression .”
Unlike the U . S ., Dancer says there are no certification programs in the UK for hospital environmental services personnel to reflect education and training that result in a better work performance .
“ Hospital cleaners tend to stay on much the same salary they receive after the first year for years ,” Dancer says . “ There is not much opportunity for career progression or a commensurate salary to go with it . Everyone ( including cleaners ) cleans electrical and delicate items in their own homes ; why can ’ t they clean similar items in hospitals ? It would allow nurses to focus on patient care . I suspect that managers don ’ t want to find the money to upgrade more experienced cleaning staff . Plus , we need relevant educational courses in colleges for people to
obtain the relevant qualifications . No one will do it unless they are guaranteed to receive more pay . It ’ s a bit of a chicken-andegg situation .”
In her paper , Dancer ( 2023 ) asks , “ Has hospital cleaning finally ‘ come of age ’, rather than trailing behind more popular infection control activities , such as hand hygiene ? One would like to think so . The balance between hand hygiene and cleaning hand-touch sites should be equal and opposite but domestic duties have not yet generated the global flag-waving witnessed for hand hygiene . Hands must touch something to function , and if the surfaces they touch are contaminated , then attempts at keeping hands clean are automatically invalidated . Furthermore , it is a lot easier to ratify good cleaning than it is to sustain hand hygiene compliance . Hospital cleaning does not have to depend upon personal whim . It does require evidence-based surface standards , however , along with training , regular monitoring and education for all domestic staff . Recognizing the value of a clean hospital should benefit cleaners themselves , with elevated status and corresponding salary scales .”
Dancer adds that “ It is time for cleaning , still the Cinderella of infection control , to step into the spotlight .”
Reference :
Dancer SJ . Hospital Cleaning : Past , Present , and Future . Antimicrobial Resistance & Infection Control . Vol . 12 , article number 80 ( 2023 ).
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