Country goes into lockdown

Are you ready?

• Are your visitors encouraged to wash their hands when entering and leaving your facility?
• Are your staff following guidelines and handwashing protocols confidently?
• Are your sluice room facilities compliant with regulations and your Bedpan Washer Disinfector running at optimal performance levels?
• Has your bedpan washer been recently serviced?
• Do staff know what to do with soiled laundry and waste in the sluice room to make sure it’s handled safely?

If you answered “NO“ to any of the above – Read on to be prepared!

Did this trigger memories?

Did you know that is been 5 years since lockdown? Today marks the anniversary of the UK’s first national Covid-19 lockdown, when the whole world grounded to a halt and ‘infection control’ transitioned from a clinical term to a household phrase.

We were all frantically searching for hand sanitiser and encountering people wearing face masks and keeping their distance when entering the local supermarket. The pandemic had stretched the NHS and care settings to its absolute limits and it had never been more important to stop infections before they took hold.

Whilst life has largely returned to normal, lessons learned during that time should not be forgotten. Infection control remains crucial and these fundamentals remain essential:

Hand washing

Hand hygiene is one of the most important ways of controlling the spread of infections. Making sure that staff have access to a dedicated handwashing sink in their sluice room along with liquid soap, warm water and disposable paper hand towels is paramount. Hands should be washed before and after attending to a patient or handling equipment in the sluice room. 

Sluice Room Servicing

Servicing your sluice room continues to help minimise the risk of infection. Maintaining your sluice machine regularly helps to avoid preventable infection risks. Emergency call-outs are never ideal – they always seem to have a knack for occurring at the worst possible time. A fault can mean that staff have to find alternatives for safe disposal by using an alternative machine at a different location or washing by hand. This increases staff workloads and presents a much higher contamination risk. An easily preventable fault could be avoided altogether through the regular service and maintenance of your sluice room equipment.

Correct Training

Proper PPE usage and understanding clean and dirty areas are essential in helping to prevent cross-contamination. Ongoing training ensures staff are also equipped to maintain high infection control standards and use sluice room equipment correctly for the safe reuse of utensils.

Cleaning & Decontamination

Healthcare facilities should continue to regularly clean and disinfect all areas and surfaces in contact with food, dirt, or bodily fluids. These surfaces should also be free from joins, cracks or crevices as they can harbor pathogens and regular cleaning and disinfection are critical to breaking the chain of transmission. 

Decontamination services, like our Victory decontamination service, can offer further protection. The electrostatic spray creates a mist that kills the pathogens and spores which may be resting on floors, walls and furniture.

Ventilation

The pandemic highlighted the importance of proper ventilation and as part of the COVID-19 pandemic response, the Department for Education provided education and childcare settings with access to CO2 monitors to help them assess how well ventilated their spaces were.

Ventilation is still vital in healthcare settings and our Airsteril units actively eliminate airborne pathogens and unpleasant odours, providing an extra layer of protection. 

A well-planned sluice room where equipment is maintained and staff trained in equipment use will be at the heart of keeping infection under control in the care home sector. At Stanbridge, we understand the importance of robust infection control protocols and are committed to supporting healthcare facilities in maintaining the highest standards of infection control.

Get in touch today to find out more about how Stanbridge can assist with the infection control protocols in your sluice room.