MGH hygiene report fair

Mayo General remains ‘fair’ in hygiene audit

Anton McNulty

A REVIEW of the hygiene standards of Mayo General Hospital has revealed that while levels have improved in the hospital, compared to last year, the overall rating remains ‘fair’.

The review was carried out by the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) as part of the ongoing process of reducing healthcare-acquired infections in 50 of the country’s hospitals.

In assessing the hospital, the HIQA set 20 standards which are further divided into 56 criteria which describe how a hospital can demonstrate that the standard is being met or not. Fifteen of these 56 criteria are described as ‘core criteria’.

The hospital is measured against these criteria on the basis of compliance. Exceptional compliance with the criteria greater than 85 per cent is rated ‘A’, while negligible compliance with the criteria less than 15 per cent is rated ‘E’. This means that the more As or Bs a hospital achieves, the greater the level of compliance with the hygiene standards. The ratings are amalgamated, with a greater weighting applied to ‘core criteria’ and an overall rating awarded to the hospital.

The ratings which each hospital can receive range from ‘very good’ to ‘good’ and from ‘fair’ to ‘poor’. This year the Hygiene Review for Mayo General received 12 ‘A’ grades, compared to two in 2007; 33 ‘B’ grades, compared to 19 in ‘07, and eleven ‘C’ grades, compared to 35 in ‘07. No criteria was scored at less than grade ‘C’.

While the number of higher grades received by Mayo General Hospital increased, the overall ratings remained at ‘fair’. A statement released from the hospital admitted they were disappointed with the ‘fair’ ratings but the increase in grades showed the efforts being made by the hospital to improve hygiene standards.

“While we were disappointed at the overall ‘fair’ rating, we were pleased that the 2008 report reflected a very significant improvement on our performance in 2007. The improved performance in 2008 over 2007 reflects the huge efforts being made by staff in every department in the hospital to provide a clean environment for our patients and visitors. We will take this report on board and work specifically on the criteria where we scored ‘C’ during 2009 in an effort to improve even further at the next review,” the statement read.

Cappagh National Orthopaedic Hospital in Dublin was the only hospital in the country to receive a ‘very good’ rating in 2008, despite having only got a ‘fair’ rating the year before. Eleven hospitals received a ‘good’ rating, 29 received a ‘fair’ rating and nine received ‘poor’ ratings.

Of the Connacht hospitals, University College Hospital Galway, Sligo General, Portiuncula Hospital, Ballinsloe and Merlin Park Hospital all received ‘fair’ ratings, while Roscommon County Hospital received a ‘poor’ rating.