12:01am Thursday 18th October 2007
By Tomasz Johnson
Barnet and Chase Farm hospitals are continuing to struggle with hygiene, despite a turnaround in quality of service, according to a report out today.
The Healthcare Commission states Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals Trust met all but two of the standards set by the Department of Health, including those for care standards and waiting times.
However, the trust could not show that systems have been put in place to reduce the risk to patients, staff and visitors of acquiring infections such as MRSA, and that the hospitals are not maintained to acceptable standards of cleanliness.
The same hygiene issues led to the trust being the first to receive an improvement notice under the hygiene code introduced in 2006, after a spot check by the Healthcare Commission.
Last month, Averil Dongworth, the chief executive of the trust, claimed rigorous systems had been put in place to combat the problems, and said these would be reflected in today's report.
But the failure to meet stringent hygiene standards raises the possibility the Healthcare Commission will not be satisfied by improvements when it publishes its review of the notice, also expected this month.
Mrs Dongworth said: "We have really focused on what needs to be done to improve the quality of care our patients receive.
"While we are pleased with results, we realise there is room for improvement.
"We are not complacent. This is just the start on the journey of recovery for this trust."
The Healthcare Commission report reveals the performance of all 394 NHS trusts in England using ratings on a four point scale, from weak' to excellent'. Having had its service branded weak' for service quality last year, Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals Trust has this year achieved a good' rating.
Anna Walker, chief executive of the Healthcare Commission, highlighted the failure to get to grips with hygiene and infection as a wider problem.
She said: "We recognise that patients are genuinely frightened of catching a superbug in hospital.
"Although most patients receive safe and effective care in the NHS, the risk of suffering an infection nationally is higher than it should be."
The trust also received a weak' rating for financial management.
A statement from the trust said this was because it is in financial deficit, but expects to rectify that in the coming year.
The Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust achieved an excellent' rating for quality of service and good' for financial management in the latest report.
Chief executive Andrew Way said: "This rating has been made possible thanks to the passion and hard work of our talented and dedicated staff.
"I am very proud of them and thank them for their achievements.
"We recognise that some of our services are not as well organised as they could be; this is commented upon by the commission and is an area we will be working hard to improve upon in the coming months."
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