ECJ EUROPEAN Cleaning Journal

A new protocol for cleaning public spaces in England has been launched in response to COVID-19.

This is said to be the first time that cleaning has been regulated by means of an official standard that can be measured and audited. Organisations previously relied on guidance from HSE and Public Health England for maintaining high levels of cleanliness and hygiene.

The aim of the new protocol is to raise cleaning standards and reduce the number of hospital admissions from bacterial and viral diseases.

Training on "Cleaning the NHS way" - accredited by the Royal Society of Public Health and set up by the NHS Deep Cleaning and Advisory Service - provides the basis for the protocol. The course is said to be easy to understand even for those whose first language is not English, and certification depends on the outcome of an exam at the end of the training.

"People use the word ‘clean' so much that it has a fairly wide definition," said Tony Sullivan, environmental and decontamination manager at the NHS Deep Cleaning and Advisory Service.

"By implementing the NHS protocol we're trying to create a baseline that people can measure. Proper cleaning protocols in all public spaces can not only protect us during this pandemic, they can reduce the risk of another one happening."

Originally developed by the North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust, the cleaning protocol is now being rolled out nationwide. Organisations seeking support with their domestic cleaning are invited to invest in the "Clean the NHS Way" staff training programme.

Profits from the course will be reinvested back into NHS Trusts and put towards improving frontline patient care and treatment.

deepcleaning.nhs.uk