Across the UK, domestic service teams are working twofold to ensure a high level cleanliness is maintained in our hospitals.
Playing a key role in the day-to-day running of every hospital, domestics are reducing the spread of infection through deep cleans and regular upkeep of all areas.
Since the coronavirus outbreak, the team at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King’s Lynn has seen their workload quadruple.
Donna Mason, Domestic Services Manager and Deputy Domestic Services Manager Steven Cooper, oversee the 237 staff that makes up the QEH domestic team – the second largest team in the Trust.
Donna, who has worked at the Trust for over 15 years, is passionate about support services. She said: “The outbreak has been a real eye-opener. In April 2019, we were doing 360 infection cleans per month; fast-forward a year to this April, and we are doing over 1200 infection cleans.
“The domestics are working on the frontline with clinical staff fighting the virus, cleaning areas such as the COVID-19 wards and “Yellow” Emergency Department. They are donning their PPE and cracking on with their jobs – and for that, we are extremely proud.”
As well as the COVID-19 affected areas, the domestic’s team are still undertaking the routine cleans covering the entire hospital. This includes wards, outpatient areas, theatres, staff rooms, kitchens and offices – to name a few!
Steven has been at the Trust for 10 years. Working in sterile services and then domestics throughout his QEH career, Steven has an eye for detail. He said: “Our team is keeping the hospital as infection free as possible. We are achieving all our targets; including 98% cleanliness in very high risk locations such as yellow areas.”
“The team work every day to decontaminate areas; cleaning them from top to bottom and reducing the risk of infection.”
Without the domestic team, the hospital simply would not be able to run as smoothly or efficiently. It is down to the domestics that the spread of the virus has been contained and limited, and that beds and equipment are turned around so rapidly.
Donna said: “I am so incredibly proud of our team for stepping up and undertaking this massive increase in workload. We have a brilliant, dedicated team, who look after each other and ensure that everything they do is completed to the highest standard.”
–ENDS–
Pictured: Steven Cooper and Donna Mason.
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