A hospital has failed to reach hygiene standards during an unannounced visit by official inspectors.
On the spot checks by Care Quality Commission inspectors ruled that Dudley Group of Hospitals Foundation Trust had breached regulations to maintain cleanliness after finding 13 commodes had not been cleaned properly.
They gave it an amber warning following the inspection of four wards at Russells Hall Hospital, in Dudley, over two days in February.
The Care Quality Commission, which was called the Healthcare Commission at the time of the visit, will now review the hospital in six months time to check if improvements have been made.
The trust saw a surge in rates of superbug Clostridium difficile (C.diff) between January and March 2007, but since then, bosses have tackled the issue and figures of both C.diff and MRSA have fallen.
“We are committed to ensuring a safe environment for patients and infection control is a top priority,” said Paul Farenden, hospital trust chief executive.
The trust has appointed four infection control and prevention champions, who will be in place by April 20, while they also plan to appoint the first ever nurse consultant for the infection prevention and control team to further boost action against hospital superbugs.
