I am beginning to repeat myself here because it seems that this whole culture of blame, lets take no responsibility for anything that happens to us thing continues unabated. A BUPA survey of 1000 people has apparently identified that the responsibility for hospital acquired infection rests squarely at the feet of hospital managers. Apparently 80% of those who responded feel managers are to blame for the high levels of MRSA / C - Difficile while only 0.8% think doctors are to blame and only 0.08% blame cleaners. There is no mention of nurses in the report I read, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the rest of the blame lies with them, since nurses take a lot of flack these days.

The idea that BUPA, an independent health care provider is fuelling the anxiety of people about the state of NHS hospitals is interesting, since I bet BUPA don’t mean their own inpatient facilities. I don’t know if they are subject to the same healthcare commission visits and inspectors or if they have to have matrons to oversee cleaning like in the NHS.

No one doubts that a clean hospital is vital to ensuring the confidence of the general public, but I personally would go back to government policy for my first port of call if wishing to porton blame. Back in the 80’s and 90’s cleaning services where auctioned off (other wise known as tendering) to the lowest bidder and at the same time capital investment was so poor that routine maintainance often when undone. At about that time I worked in a hospital whee the public toilets where in a poor state. They looked dirty even though they were regularly cleaned and in order that the situation could be improved the whole facility had to be ripped out and renewed. We might blame the hospital management for this state of affairs but it actually relates to years of underinvestment where public toilets even in a hospital were the lowest priority.

As with everything else, there is an unwillingness to take responsibility. Back to those toilets, how often do you see people leave such a facility without washing their hands. Where do they go to afterwards? Perhaps for an appointment or to see a loved one. We all have a responsibility to prevent hospital / healthcare acquired infection. Yes managers have a responsibility for maintenance and ensuring cleanliness, for employing the correct staff and training those people in the principles of infection control. They have a responsibility for ensuring that standards are maintained. But actually responsibility lies with us all.

No one doubts that a clean hospital