The 1,000-strong army waging war on infections in Nottingham hospitals
A clean hospital is vital all-year round – but even more so with what’s being dubbed the ‘quademic’ – as flu, norovirus, RSV, and COVID-19 put the NHS under immense pressure this winter.
Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH) has almost 1,000 cleaners working around the clock to keep patients, staff, and visitors safe.
For Deb Tozer, her commitment to doing an excellent job runs deep. In 25 years, she's risen from cleaner to Facilities Manager in Cleaning Services, with a passion for the highest standards for all those who work, stay, or visit our hospitals.
“All five of my daughters were born here, as well as my seven grandchildren.
“This is why I say this is OUR hospital: we’ve all been treated here.
“I’m local - this is my hospital, where my family come should anything happen to them. One of my granddaughters – Ava-May – is treated across all NUH sites – and has always had amazing care. She’s 11 and has various, complex disabilities which can make her vulnerable to infections.
“If we don’t clean properly, it will impact the patient experience and the patient. I know that from a professional point of view and from a patient and relative’s point of view.”
Deb said: “I started when my children were little. I had five kids, and I wanted a bit of freedom when my husband came home. It was a part-time job - I’ve been here ever since.”
Cleaning at NUH is a job that fits in around family life and has the potential to grow into a career.
“I tell my team ‘I started as a cleaner - you could be sitting in my seat at some point if that’s what you want’. There is opportunity for growth and development, and promotion. Most of my team leaders started as cleaners, and some of our cleaners move into healthcare assistant roles and then go on to be nurses.
The cleaning teams are diverse, with a multicultural workforce and staff aged from their teens to their 70s – some of whom have been at NUH for 30 years.
“They love the fact they can get out for 15 hours a week, interact with patients, and have a group of friends which they wouldn’t have if they were at home," said Deb. “One of our ladies, Betty, has not long lost her husband. The job has given her an outlet and helped her maintain some normality.”
Deb added: “We used to be mainly women – Covid was horrendous – I don’t think we slept for three years. Since then, we’ve had staff who have come from working on the railway, or in hospitality, and we are much more mixed now.”
Lee Henry joined the team seven years ago.
“Cleaning doesn’t always get the recognition it deserves,” said Lee. “Everything works together but we’re at the core.”
Lee likes to do his bit to improve the patient experience. "Every morning before I start, I pick up Metros for patients. Some of the older patients don’t have mobile phones so they enjoy getting a newspaper. I know it’s a small thing but it’s satisfying that it pleases them so much and makes their day a little better.”
Shifts are typically six hours and can vary in difficulty depending on different areas of the hospitals.
“It’s very difficult to clean some areas; a lot of times we work around patients,” said Deb. “Patients like to see us cleaning, it gives them confidence that they’re in an environment that’s safe.”
She added: “It’s physically hard work - and it can be emotionally difficult too. At times my team will be cleaning in areas with critically ill patients, with various machines beeping - that takes a strong person.”
Cleaning Services has just undergone a huge audit, which took almost a year, and gave a baseline of hours needed in each area to achieve the new national standards. Cleaning categories are rated from 1 to 6, with 1 being the most critical in terms of ensuring no harm or infection comes to vulnerable patients, such as cancer patients. Calculations included number of beds, number of toilets, number of doors, risk categories, deep cleans for infections, and the team works closely with Infection Prevention Control colleagues.
The audit evidenced the excellence and dedication of Deb and her team. But what underpins that data is the everyday kindness of cleaning staff in interactions that can touch people's lives. As Jennifer O’Neil, 55, who has worked at NUH for 23 years, says: "You try not to get attached to patients, which is really difficult, you know, coming in one day to find their bed is empty. That can be really hard.”