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Our Philosophy

Cleaning plays an essential part in helping to reduce the risk of infection in hospital. Providing a clean and safe environment for our patients and visitors is a priority for Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust.   We want to ensure all areas within the hospitals are safe, welcoming and comfortable so our patients feel reassured when visiting the hospital.  We work hard to ensure that cleaning standards are met at all times.

How we do it

Plymouth Hospital NHS Trust Hotel Services Team delivers all Hotel Services which include Patient Catering, Domestic and Housekeeping, General Portering & Helpdesk, Linen and Post room services

The ward housekeeping service is provided between the times of 7.30am and 2000hrs, Monday to Sunday.  The Ward Housekeeper leads the domestic team who all work as part of the integrated ward team ensuring a high quality service to patients.

Hotel Services colleagues can be easily identified by their mid-grey uniforms.

In addition to the ward based housekeeping and cleaning staff, we also have specialist cleaning teams who work across all the wards and are responsible for deep cleaning and decontamination of bed spaces and single rooms for infection control purposes.   This team works late into the evening to ensure single rooms are readily available for the patients who require them.

In outpatient departments, cleaning is usually carried out at the end of the working day in order to prepare the area for the following day.  Public areas such as thoroughfares and toilets are cleaned at various times throughout the day and night.   In most cases, it is safer to clean the busy entrances and corridors at night when there is less pedestrian traffic around the hospital.

Cleaning frequencies have been set according to national guidance and recommendations.  We routinely check and audit our cleaning standards and require a level of compliance in excess to those laid down in the national guidance.  The Hotel Services supervisory team carry out audits jointly with the Ward Manager/Sister or Matron.

Hotel Services colleagues  are fully trained in all approved methods of cleaning, infection control, COSHH – Control of Substances Hazardous to Health, colour coding, safe handling and disposal of waste, food safety, basic health and safety and other learning courses.

Please help us to keep your hospital clean.

You can help us to keep the hospital environment clean by disposing of your litter safely in the bins provided and by letting us know if the cleaning standards are not acceptable in any area.

If you are dissatisfied with our cleaning standards or see a problem which needs attention, please let us know by reporting the problem to a member of ward or department staff, informing the receptionist at the various entrances or contacting the Hotel Services  Helpdesk on X32300, using an internal phone.