New mop system sweeps in (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

New mop system sweeps in

The two trusts employ 138 cleaners and they are set to become the first in Wiltshire to use a revolutionary cleaning system to further improve standards.

Developed in Sweden where MRSA levels are practically non-existent, the trusts' cleaners will be using mops and cloths with tiny micro fibres that capture bacteria and, perhaps a surprise to some, cold water will be used.

Karen Tapliss, the trusts' supervisor and training officer for the cleaning staff, said: "Using cold water is a hard concept to accept but it's the micro fibres that do the job."

Mrs Tapliss, who started as a cleaner on the wards at Devizes Hospital 19 years ago, said: "Everyone will have individual cloths and mops and there will be fresh cloths for every room. They will be colour coded and this will cut down the chance of cross contamination."

The new cleaning system is for standard cleaning of the wards. Spillages of blood or other bodily fluids will be cleaned with the appropriate cleaning agents and disinfectant. The trust decided on acquiring the new cleaning system about a year ago. It has been introduced in Westbury Hospital and will be introduced in the rest of the community hospitals during the summer.

Twelve patients developed MRSA at Chippenham Hospital in 2004, and there were two cases in Malmesbury Hospital and none at Devizes Hospital.

So far this year there has been one case of MRSA in Chippenham Hospital and one case at Malmesbury Hospital.

The trust said none of the patients contracted MRSA at the community hospitals, but already had it when they arrived there. Some got it while being treated at acute hospitals such as the Great Western Hospital, Swindon, or the Royal United Hospital, Bath.

MRSA is a common bacteria and many carry the strain in their throats or nose.