A clean, tidy and welcoming environment

Jane Ward is the head of environmental support services at Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust and, after working for the organisation for 23 years, has some top tips about managing the hospitals’ environment.
    
She said: “We’re committed to keeping our patients and visitors as comfortable, safe and as happy as they possibly can be. That means more than 300 support staff, including cleaners, porters, security officers and many others, working all year round to keep our hospitals in tip-top condition.
    
“But the fact is, it’s the little touches that really make a difference. Just really simple actions can have a marked difference on how our patients feel about their stay with us. One example of that is the new toilet door handles that we have installed across our hospitals.”

SIMPLE BUT BRILLIANT
The Trust has recently invested in a number of new door handles that come with an automatic sleeve dispenser, which covers the door handle with a clean film of protective plastic every time it’s used.  
    
Jane said: “I know it sounds funny, but the new toilet door handles are making a real difference and we’ve been flooded with positive feedback about them. Thinking about touching a toilet door handle that’s been used by someone who hasn’t washed their hands is enough to make most people squirm. But with these new door handles, every one can relax – any time you touch that handle, you know that no-one else’s hands have been there. It’s simple, but brilliant.”
    
Across Epsom, St Helier and Sutton hospitals, you can see other small touches made by Jane and the team on a daily basis – including new state-of-art Dyson hand driers in bathrooms, individual ‘a la carte’ menus for all of our patients and a bed checklist system to make sure that every bed has been cleaned and properly prepared for each person.  
    
Jane added: “Everybody knows how important it is that our patients get the very best possible clinical care, but a huge part of that is how clean, tidy and welcoming our hospitals are. It’s a big job, but it’s one that we’re passionate about and I’m pleased to say that with every small step we take to improve, we’re benefitting our patients.”

FOR MORE INFORMATION
www.epsom-sthelier.nhs.uk

About Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust

Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust is a large acute trust serving South West London and Surrey. The Trust is made up of Epsom, St Helier and Sutton hospitals and provides around 700,000 patient contacts every year. The Trust is one of the largest employers locally, with around 5,000 staff.
    
The Trust offers an extensive range of services, including cancer, immunology, sexual health, women’s and dermatology services.  St Helier Hospital is also home to the South West Thames Renal and Transplantation Unit and the Queen Mary’s Hospital for Children, whilst Epsom Hospital is home to the Elective Orthopaedic Centre (EOC). Both Epsom and St Helier hospitals have Accident & Emergency departments.
    
As teaching hospitals, the Trust plays a key role in the education and training of tomorrow’s doctors, nurses and other health professionals. It works in partnership with St George’s Hospital and St George’s Medical School in south London to deliver high quality education and research. Outside St George’s Hospital, Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust supports the education of the greatest number of medical students than any other teaching hospital in south London.