NHS Tayside chief executive Gerry Marr insists Ninewells is a clean hospital, after a damning report into its hygiene procedures.
NHS Tayside was told to clean up its act after two reports in six months criticised areas of hygiene at the hospital.
This followed a damning report into the Ninewells Hospital treatment of an 80-year-old woman known only as Mrs V, who died of pneumonia 16 days after she started receiving heavy dosages of medication for her condition.
Mr Marr said, “I think that we haven’t taken any issue with the accuracy of the HEI report and we are re-investigating the Mrs V case but I certainly don’t think you can make generalisations that this somehow implies that Ninewells has poor standards of care.
“The opposite is true. And I think we are anxious to meet the requirements of external visits but also we live among the people of Dundee and we need to reassure them, and I can reassure them, that they have a hospital that in many ways is second to none in the country.”
Asked about fears patients and visitors may have, he said, “In relation to older people, we know older people prefer to be at home and everything we are doing now is to try and prevent older people coming into hospital, but they also want to know that when they need a bed, there will be one and they will be dealt with and cared for in a safe manner.
“Just looking at the six wards that were visited by HEI, we have looked at the infection rates from the period between the two. The infection rate for MRSA is less than a half a percent, cases of C.Diff is even lower at 0.3%, so let’s just get it into perspective a tiny fraction of those people admitted have got an infection while they are in our hospitals. We would love it to be 100% guarantee but I am not sure anyone can give that as a guarantee.”
The chief executive said in relation to cleanliness, there had been huge improvements in the period between the two HEI visits, and he stated, “The Facilities Scotland report published this week gives us a rating above 90% in the compliance of standards and cleanliness, so let’s get it into perspective.
“What the report doesn’t say is just how much improvement has been made and it is quite difficult to measure the improvement and that is something we are talking to the inspectorate about, so the report doesn’t suggest the huge amount of work put in.”
Asked if anyone should be personally liable for the failings identified in the report, Mr Marr said, “My view is it is a very crass thing to say that those so-called failings should result in disciplinary action.
“When I walked the wards as I did last week and I do regularly I see the efforts of the nurses and everyone in our hospital. I think it is too simple to just say ‘someone should lose their job over this’ because they are working tirelessly to actually achieve those standards.
“If someone is reckless, if someone is negligent, if someone personally defies the policies of the hospital, then of course they should be disciplined but that is not what is happening here. What is happening here is improvement but not quite meeting standards.”
The chief executive continued, “Well if I take credit, then I have to take responsibility as well. So yes, at the end of the day I am the accountable officer for this board and I have to take responsibility. But I would reassure the public since being here, I have shown a huge commitment to patient safety.
“I am in the wards all the time, I take part in safety walkabouts and I think we have a reputation as a senior team of being very engaged with our frontline staff.”