Health bosses at Victoria Hospital in Fife have been told a failure to record patients’ Covid-19 test dates and results must be “urgently addressed”.
The issue was discovered after an unannounced inspection carried out by Healthcare Improvement Scotland from May 4-6.
On the whole the hospital was given a positive report, with seven areas of good practice, and two areas where action is required to meet national standards.
The inspection was a Covid-19-focused inspection, inspecting against relevant current national Covid-19 guidance and existing Healthcare Associate Infection (HAI) standards.
During the visit, inspectors examined a number of wards, the maternity unit (post-natal ward) and the neonatal unit, as well as public and staff communal areas.
‘Test dates and results were not recorded’
Ian Smith, head of quality of care at Healthcare Improvement Scotland, said: “During this inspection, we found that staff were available at all the hospital entrances to provide guidance and directions to visitors.
“Moreover, staff used personal protective equipment (PPE) correctly and performed hand hygiene at appropriate opportunities.
“In addition, the majority of equipment was visibly clean, and the cleanliness of the environment was generally good.
“However, patients’ Covid-19 test dates and results were not recorded in the majority of patient records we reviewed, and this requires to be addressed urgently.”
It was also reported there was a high standard of domestic cleaning and staff advised they were well-supported during Covid-19 pandemic.
‘Work is already under way’
In response to the report’s findings, NHS Fife said that work is under way to address the issues quickly, with some actions already having been completed.
Commenting on the report, NHS Fife director of nursing, Janette Owens, said: “We are pleased that Healthcare Improvement Scotland’s Report recognises the efforts of our staff, who have worked tirelessly to maintain the cleanliness of our hospital environments whilst delivering a high standard of care in especially challenging circumstances.
“Furthermore, we are also pleased that our staff reported they felt well-supported during such a difficult period.
“We also note the improvement actions highlighted in the inspection report and work is already underway to prioritise these actions and ensure a consistent approach across the organisation.”
The report is available in full on the Healthcare Improvement Scotland website.