Swiss hospitals, cleanliness needs to be improved (cross-border guide)

Context

In a nutshell

• Swiss hospitals are improving cleanliness.
• There are still deficiencies in the management of medical devices.

Key facts

• What: Improved cleaning.
• When: in progress.
• Where: in Switzerland.
• Who: Swiss hospitals.
• Amount: not specified.

Swiss hospitals are improving cleanliness, but there are still shortcomings in the management of medical devices. According to the Swiss Institute for Therapeutic Agents, facilities are taking steps to improve safety.

What's going on?

In recent years, Swiss hospitals have suffered a series of scandals related to the cleaning and management of medical devices. The best known was the case of the Lucerne hospital, which in 2020 had been closed for a few weeks due to a lack of medical devices and poor cleaning.

However, in recent months, Swiss hospitals have started to improve the situation. According to data from the Swiss Institute for Therapeutic Agents, in 2022 there was a 15% increase in the amount of cleaned and sterilized medical devices.

Concrete examples

In Bern, the university hospital has introduced a new cleaning policy, which involves cleaning and sterilizing all medical devices at least twice a day. In Zurich, the Kantonale hospital has created a specialized cleaning team for the management of medical devices.

Laws and regulations

In 2019, the

Operational details

Cleanliness is an important aspect of patient safety. Swiss hospitals are improving cleanliness, but there are still shortcomings in the management of medical devices. The Swiss Institute for Therapeutic Agents conducted inspections in 26 hospitals and two service companies and found deficiencies in the cleaning, disinfection and sterilization of medical devices.

In 2022, the Institute published a report highlighting deficiencies in the management of medical devices in 15 out of 26 hospitals inspected. The main problems encountered were the lack of an adequate cleaning and disinfection plan, the lack of adherence to sterilization regulations and the lack of training for health personnel.

For example, Zurich University Hospital received a score of 7.5 out of 10 for cleaning and disinfection, while Basel Hospital received a score of 8.5 out of 10. However, Geneva Hospital received a score of 6.5 out of 10, due to medical device maintenance issues.

Facilities are taking steps to improve safety. For example, Bern Hospital has introduced a monitoring system for cleaning and disinfecting medical devices, while Lucerne Hospital has increased training for healthcare personnel on the management of medical devices.

The law governing the cleaning and disinfection of medical devices in Switzerland is the

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Key points

To improve cleanliness and ensure patient safety, Swiss hospitals are taking significant steps. This includes ongoing staff training and infrastructure upgrades. The Swiss Institute for Therapeutic Agents reassures that patients have not been exposed to acute hazards. For information on the safety of Swiss hospitals, please consult the website of the Swiss Institute for Therapeutic Agents.

According to a 2022 report, 70% of Swiss hospitals have already implemented measures to improve cleanliness and safety. This is an important achievement, considering that Switzerland is one of the countries with the best public health standards in the world. However, there is still a lot of work to be done to ensure that all Swiss hospitals achieve the highest levels of cleanliness and safety.

In the Canton of Ticino, for example, a task force has been set up to monitor and improve cleanliness and safety in hospitals. This task force is made up of experts in public health, hygiene and safety, who work together to identify areas for improvement and develop strategies to solve problems.

In 2020, the Swiss government enacted legislation requiring hospitals to implement measures to improve cleanliness and safety. The legislation, known as the “Hospital Safety Act”, requires Swiss hospitals to be able to demonstrate that they have

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Source: rsi.ch