Hygiene standards set by a new “super-regulator” for health and social care have not been met by a total of 21 NHS trusts, including four NHS foundation trusts, it has emerged.
As part of their registration with the new Care Quality Commission, all trusts were told they had to meet government standards on cleanliness.
However, failure to meet the criteria fully has resulted in conditions being placed on the registration of 10 acute hospital trusts, six primary care trusts, four mental health care trusts and one ambulance trust.
The regulation of foundation trusts made the headlines recently after it emerged that Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust had been awarded the status despite concerns over its high death rates.
The latest data show that a deadline has been imposed on some trusts for taking action to meet hygiene standards, and others have ongoing conditions on their registration, such as the need to keep wards clean.
These conditions, which are legally enforceable, include procedures such as ensuring the decontamination of surgical equipment is up to scratch, and developing tighter policies to tackle infections like MRSA and Clostridium difficile.
If trusts fail to act, they could be issued with warning notices and fines, or face prosecution or closure.
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