• Ninewells Inspection Report Given Cautious Welcome

    January 13, 2010

    Dundee Council’s Social Work and Health Convenor Jim Barrie has cautiously welcomed an Independent Inspectors’ report into Ninewells Hospital published today.

    Jim Barrie said: “I’m pleased to note that there are good points in the report and that areas where improvement is needed are already being attended to in an Action Plan set up by NHS Tayside.

    “In general, it was a thorough inspection and Ninewells has passed it with flying colours although no-one would wish to be complacent.

    “The inspection was carried out at the start of the C-Diff outbreak and while the hospital has been commended for its practice of reviewing all cases of C-Diff to ensure the appropriate use of anti-biotics, the C-Diff outbreak was not the main focus of this inspection. The report concentrated instead on the overall performance of the hospital.”

    The Healthcare Environment Inspectorate’s report has highlighted a range of good practice at Ninewells, including high numbers of staff undertaking the Cleanliness Champions Programme and the availability of specific funding for minor repairs.

    However, the report also called for a number of improvements including using doors on patient bed bays, a review of risk assessment for additional cleaning during maintenance work and consideration of the need for a reduction in bed numbers. NHS Tayside has put in place an action plan to address the issues raised.

    Eight elderly patients tested positive for C-Diff during the outbreak in Ninewells with five of them dying between September and October last year and these deaths at Ninewells are likely to be examined during the Public Inquiry into the Vale of Leven outbreak of 2008, which begins on 1st February.