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On 24 November 2008, the Healthcare Commission published an analysis of unannounced inspections at 51 acute NHS trusts in England, representing about 30% of the acute sector (Inspections of cleanliness and infection control: how well are acute trusts following the hygiene code?).
These spot checks formed part of the biggest ever programme of inspections in the NHS, designed to assess the compliance of acute NHS trusts with the government's hygiene code. The report finds that most trusts had improved arrangements to ensure good leadership; appointed staff with clear responsibilities for infection prevention and control; and put in place policies to ensure staff uniforms were clean and fit for purpose.
However, only five trusts were compliant with all requirements of the hygiene code, with more than half of the remainder being instructed to ensure a clean and well-maintained environment across all their premises.
While almost all lapses (97%) were not found to represent an immediate risk to the safety of patients, the report emphasises that most acute trusts have more work to do to get systems for infection prevention and control in place.