Cleaning standards, especially in spaces that operate within the realms of the medical world, whether it’s a GP practice or hospital etc, is incredibly important. Medical facilities have standards they must adhere to in order to ensure client/worker health, and preventing further illness due to unhygienic practices.
In this blog, we will discuss medical cleaning regulations – Are you meeting CQC standards?
Sentrex Services stands as a leading provider of comprehensive cleaning and hygiene solutions, serving a vast region from the Northwest to the Southeast of England. With a dedicated team of over 600 professionals, we deliver bespoke cleaning services tailored to the unique needs of each commercial client.
What is the CQC?
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is an independent regulator that encompasses health and adult social care services in England. They oversee a wide range of services, including:
- Hospitals (both NHS and private)
- GP practices
- Care homes (for the elderly and those with disabilities)
- Dental practices
- Ambulance services
- Mental health services
- Home care services
The CQC’s primary purpose is to ensure that these services provide people with safe, effective, compassionate, and high-quality care, whilst encouraging services to improve. Think of the CQC as the main watchdog for the entire health and social care sector in England.
How does the CQC interact with the services they regulate?
The CQC have a direct relationship with the services they regulate in a number of ways:
- All new health and adult social care providers in England must register with the CQC. They must demonstrate that they can meet the CQC’s “fundamental standards” of quality and safety before they are allowed to operate.
- The CQC continuously monitors and regularly inspects services to check that they are meeting the required standards. These inspections can be announced or unannounced, depending on the type of service.
- Following an inspection, the CQC gives the service a rating based on its findings. The four possible ratings are:
- Outstanding
- Good
- Requires improvement
- Inadequate
- If a service is found to be failing to meet the fundamental standards, the CQC has the power to take action. This can range from issuing a warning notice or placing the provider in “special measures” to demanding improvements, imposing fines, or even closing the service down.
- The CQC publishes all its inspection reports and ratings on its website. This allows the public to access clear information about the quality of care provided by a service, helping them make informed choices about their own care or that of a loved one.
The CQC also acts as an independent voice on major quality issues in health and social care, publishing reports and using its insights to encourage wider improvements across the sector.
What are CQC standards for a medical facility?
The CQC’s expectations are rooted in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014, specifically:
Regulation 12: Safe care and treatment:
This regulation requires providers to ensure that premises and equipment used are safe and prevent the spread of infection.
Regulation 15: Premises and equipment:
This regulation states that all premises and equipment used by the service provider must be clean secure and suitable for the purpose for which they are being used, and properly maintained.
Key aspects of the CQC’s standards for cleanliness and hygiene include:
- Infection prevention and control (IPC): Providers are expected to have robust systems for assessing and managing the risk of infection. This includes having a clear IPC policy and a lead person responsible for infection control.
- National standards of healthcare cleanliness: The CQC references and expects providers to follow the National Standards of Healthcare Cleanliness, which provide a comprehensive framework for cleaning services in healthcare settings.
- Cleaning schedules and audits: Medical facilities must have documented cleaning schedules that are appropriate for the care being delivered. These schedules should cover all areas of the facility, including high-risk areas like treatment rooms etc. Providers must also regularly audit the level of cleanliness to ensure that standards are being met.
- Colour-coded cleaning materials: To prevent cross-contamination, the CQC expects facilities to use a national colour-coding scheme for cleaning materials and equipment.
- Staff training: All staff, including cleaning staff, must be properly trained in infection control procedures and the correct use of cleaning products and equipment.
- Waste management: There must be proper procedures for the safe handling and disposal of all types of waste, including general waste, clinical waste, and sharps.
- Hand hygiene: The CQC places a strong emphasis on hand hygiene for both staff and patients. Facilities are expected to provide adequate hand-washing facilities and encourage good hand hygiene practices.
How to guarantee your medical facility is meeting CQC standards
1. Guaranteeing compliance with specific CQC regulations
Professional services like those provided by Sentrex are not just cleaners. We are specialists in IPC protocols. We understand the difference between general cleaning and medical-grade disinfection, and use the correct products and techniques to minimise the risk of healthcare-associated infections
Workers for professional cleaning services are trained to follow the National Standards of Healthcare Cleanliness 2021. They will have documented proof of their adherence to these standards, which you can use as evidence for CQC inspectors.
2. Implementing robust systems and processes
Instead of your facility’s staff creating and managing cleaning schedules, a professional service will provide you with a documented, auditable cleaning plan. This plan will be tailored to your facility’s risk areas and will serve as direct evidence for a well-led service.
Professional services perform their own quality audits and can provide you with the results, additionally, a professional service uses hospital-grade cleaning products and specialised equipment that your in-house team may not have access to or be trained to use.
3. Strengthening staff and culture
Using an external service shifts the burden of training and management away from your clinical staff, allowing them to focus on patient care. The cleaning company is responsible for the training, supervision, and ongoing competency checks of its own staff. This guarantees that the cleaners are fully aware of IPC protocols.
By outsourcing cleaning, your nurses, doctors, and other clinical staff can dedicate their full attention to patient care, confident that the environment they are working in is clean and safe.
4. Ensuring continuous monitoring and self-assessment
A professional service provides an objective assessment of your facility’s cleanliness, providing data and reports from their internal audits.
Reputable cleaning services stay current with the latest CQC guidance, ensuring your facility’s cleaning regime is always aligned with the most recent regulatory requirements.
Regulation compliant cleaning services for medical facilities
Sentrex Services stands as a leading provider of comprehensive cleaning and hygiene solutions, serving a vast region from the Northwest to the Southeast of England. With a dedicated team of over 600 professionals, we deliver bespoke cleaning services tailored to the unique needs of each commercial client.
At Sentrex, we prioritise commercial, industrial, and specialist cleaning services. Our services aren’t just a standard once-over, we ensure a comprehensive and individually tailored approach perfect for any site.
Here is a list of the services we provide:
- Chemical degreasing
- Steam cleaning
- Pressure washing
- Power-scrubbing
- Auto-scrubbing
- Stain and spill removal
- Debris and dust removal
- Power-scraping
- Sanding, and shot-blasting
- Vacuuming
- High-speed burnishing
- Spray buffing, waxing, and stripping
- Low moisture bonnet cleaning
- Deep extraction
- Commercial carpet cleaning
- Trash clean up
- Window cleaning
- Exterior cleaning
- Cleaning of washrooms
- Deep cleaning
In this blog, we’ve hoped to have helped you understand medical cleaning regulations – Are you meeting CQC standards? Whilst also providing supplementary information about the benefits of our professional services.
Our commitment to fair pricing, environmental sustainability, and personalised service sets us apart. We prioritise quality through rigorous control measures, including monthly audits with advanced software, real-time management via iPads, and an automated time and attendance system.
As members of esteemed trade bodies, we adhere to the highest industry standards. Beyond core cleaning, we offer a full suite of soft and hard FM services, ensuring comprehensive building maintenance. Want to know if our services apply to your business or site? Don’t hesitate to get in touch with us to secure a superior clean.
