ECJ EUROPEAN Cleaning Journal

A leading Netherlands ambulance service has been slammed for hygiene concerns just a few short weeks after a survey revealed the Dutch to be Europe's most negligent hand-washers.

Ambulance Amsterdam has been given a final warning by the nation's Healthcare Inspectorate for its poor cleaning regimes and outdated equipment. It may incur a fine if improvements have not been made by April 1.

The service is also being criticised for having no clear record as to which paramedics have been vaccinated against diseases such as hepatitis B.

Another gripe is the fact that ambulance staff are not being given the required level of training. And the service has been further condemned for its inadequate cleaning regimes. In one example, inspectors noticed several employees walking past a large blood stain with none of them showing any inclination to clean it up.

Ambulance Amsterdam is one of the Netherlands' largest services with 10 sites and a staff of around 550.

Last month ECJ reported the results of a study into European hand washing habits. This revealed the Dutch to be the least likely nation in Europe to wash their hands with soap and water after using the toilet.

Only half the Dutch people surveyed washed their hands after using the loo, according to the Gallup International study. At the other end of the scale, Bosnia & Herzegovina ranked as the continent's most hygienic nation with 96 per cent of the population claiming to automatically wash their hands after a washroom visit.