Southern Health Trust, in partnership with Medirest have been awarded NHS ‘Exemplar’ status for outstanding cleaning services. The acknowledgement recognises their partnership approach to cleanliness, which has embraced the 2021 National Standards for Cleaning, alongside using innovation, sustainability and efficacy auditing systems.
Over the past year, progress and investment has been made across the cleaning services including a cleaning robot, which enhances repetitive cleaning procedures in open spaces; an upgraded auditing system for cleaning that aligns with the 2021 National Cleaning Standards; frictionless facilities management technology linked to integrated workforce management solutions; implementation of a new laundry system for cleaning cloths and mop heads; new iMops, which use fast brush rotations, that leave surfaces cleaner than other traditional methods and chemical free cleaning in non-clinical areas.
Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust provides community health, mental health and learning disability services across Hampshire. It is one of the largest providers of such specialist services in England and the first to receive the NHS Exemplar site status. Four sites within the Trust that were visited received the Exemplar site status.
The NHS Exemplar recognition acknowledges the delivery of the best-in-class service and means that the teams commit to sharing learnings and experiences to enable other Trusts to follow suit. Medirest also has Exemplar status at Royal Surrey and Barnet Hospital for cleaning, portering and catering.
Emma Brookes/ Phil Shelley – NHS England, said: “It’s great to see Southern Health receive this status for the high standards of cleaning within these four sites. Their approach is unique due to their mental health focus, so it’s great to see a leader in this field highlighted, who can now share best practice with others.”
Bob Beeching, Contracts Manager at Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust: “We are very proud to be the first mental health focussed Trust to receive Exemplar site status for cleaning. We work in partnership with Medirest to deliver on our standards of cleanliness, using an approach that is
sustainable and innovative. The efficacy audits have played a key role in creating and maintaining these standards across the four sites.”
Anna Hallas, Head of Healthcare Cleaning and Infection Control for Medirest said: “We have worked with Southern Health since 2015 and this recognition shows that our partnership approach is working. We have developed a strategy designed to deliver the Cleaning Standards to fit Southern Health’s specific requirements. This is a great example of best practice, and we are committed to sharing learnings with other hospitals.”