Fed-up patients clean Rotorua Hospital toilets

Surgical patients disgusted with hygiene standards at Rotorua Hospital have resorted to cleaning the toilets themselves.

Patients and their families say the weekend conditions they encountered were shocking and reflect the sorry state of public hospitals where money is being wasted and nurses are rushed off their feet.

Rotorua Hospital officials have apologised for the conditions experienced by patients last month, admitting it is "unacceptable" for patients to clean toilet themselves.

However, they say "accidents do happen" and the hospital relies on patients and visitors to inform staff when areas become messy so they can be cleaned up quickly.

Te Puke woman Val Carter visited her sister at Rotorua Hospital's surgical ward on November 10 and 11.

Mrs Carter said patients were avoiding the ward's dirty toilets and showers.

A patient recovering from surgery two days earlier found a scrubbing brush and rubber gloves and cleaned a toilet herself.

"Rubbish bins, in the ladies' toilets and showers, were so full they had piled-up used sanitary pads around them," Mrs Carter said.

Mrs Carter said nurses were embarrassed about not being able to do their jobs efficiently.

"We can't blame the nurses. Where is all the money going that Prime Minister Helen Clark says they are putting into hospitals?"

The board says November 10 and 11 was a busy weekend with up to 27 patients on the surgical ward and some staff away sick. Five nurses worked the 3pm to 11pm shift on Saturday and two nurses and a health care assistant covered the night shift.

The hospital contracts Spotless Services for cleaning. Six fulltime cleaning staff are rostered to work Saturdays in the clinical areas and five on Sundays.

Toilets are cleaned three times a day and showers twice-daily during the week. On weekends toilets and showers are cleaned once a day.

General manager of clinical services Dale Oliff said the level of service provided during the weekend in question was "clearly insufficient".

"Unfortunately in a busy hospital ward, a toilet or bathroom can be soiled very soon after the cleaner has moved to the next unit and in this situation, the nurse or nurse aide is asked to deal with spills quickly and/or request urgent cleaning help."

Spotless Services' contract for cleaning Rotorua Hospital comes up for renewal next year. Based on the increase in patient numbers, Ms Oliff said changes would be needed.

- DAILY POST