Night vs. Daytime Cleaning for GP Surgeries – Which Is Better?

Due to the amount of people that visit a GP surgery daily, and the various types of issues they visit for (some of which may have an infectious illness) it is paramount to always keep a GP surgery clean. 

However, it is not realistic to conduct a deep clean during operating hours, in terms of ease and convenience, a deeper clean would be more suitable to conduct after operating hours (in the night). Whilst a simple wipedown of surfaces etc can easily be done during the day. 

Here is a more detailed look at night cleaning for a GP surgery:

Night cleaning – The benefits

Cleaning at night or in the early morning before the surgery opens offers significant advantages in terms of infection control, safety, and thoroughness.

• Minimises infection risk: The primary goal of cleaning in a healthcare setting is to prevent the spread of infection. Cleaning while patients and staff are not present eliminates the risk of disturbing dust and pathogens, which could become airborne and settle on clean surfaces.
• Thorough disinfection: An empty building allows cleaners unrestricted access to all areas, including high-touch surfaces like door handles, reception desks, and examination rooms. They can use industrial-grade disinfectants and other chemicals that may require a specific “dwell time” to be effective, which is not possible during operating hours.
• Enhanced safety: Cleaning can pose hazards like wet floors and trailing cords. Performing these tasks at night removes the risk of patients, staff, or visitors slipping, tripping, or coming into contact with cleaning chemicals.
• Optimal for deep cleaning: Tasks like stripping and polishing floors, or deep-cleaning sanitary ware, require time and space that are not available during the day. An out-of-hours schedule allows for these more intensive cleaning routines, which are essential for maintaining hygiene standards.
• Increased productivity: Cleaning staff can work more efficiently without interruptions from people, foot traffic, or daily activities. This allows them to focus on a methodical, top-to-bottom cleaning process.

What kind of cleaning can be done at daytime?

While the main clean happens at night, healthcare cleanliness standards require some level of cleaning and maintenance to be carried out throughout the day. This is often handled by a designated staff member.

• Touchpoint Cleaning: The day porter’s main responsibility is to clean and disinfect “touchpoints”—frequently touched surfaces—such as door handles, handrails, light switches, and reception counters.
• Spillage response: They are on hand to immediately clean up any spills of bodily fluids or other substances, which is critical for infection control.
• Waste management: They ensure bins are emptied regularly, especially in clinical areas and waiting rooms.
• Maintaining high-traffic areas: They perform spot-cleaning in high-traffic areas like waiting rooms and toilets to keep them presentable and hygienic.

High-traffic areas like waiting rooms, reception areas, and toilets can quickly become messy and unhygienic throughout the day. Daytime cleaning ensures these areas are consistently tidy and presentable.  

This not only helps maintain hygiene, but also helps to improve the patient experience and perception of the surgery as a result of its cleanliness, which gives the visitor a sense of comfort. 

Do visitors need to follow cleanliness protocols?

In most cases, despite the aftermath of COVID-19 visitors aren’t forced to comply with things such as wearing masks, maintaining social distances, and using hand sanitizer. However, there is nothing wrong with visitors following these protocols by themselves.