The pressures on healthcare settings fluctuate but usually peak during the winter months. That’s why it’s important to make sure you and your team are ready for this tricky season.
Winter is when germs tend to become more prolific. Lots of people catch colds and have coughs. That, combined with the colder weather forcing people inside, makes it much easier for germs to spread.
The two viruses that become a problem during the winter are flu and norovirus.
Flu is highly contagious and affects the lungs and airways. When complications occur, it can be life-threatening, especially for older people and those with underlying health conditions.
Norovirus or the winter vomiting bug is also highly contagious. It can be spread through water, food and contact with others. If an outbreak were to occur, it could disrupt your services, so you need to ensure measures are in place to prevent this from happening.
You also need to be prepared for Covid-19. Another highly infectious respiratory virus, we’re seeing rates rising across the country.
What can you do to prepare?
- Ensure infection policies are up to date, rad and followed by staff.
- Reinforce good hand hygiene
- Have liquid soap and disposable towels available
- Keep alcohol-based hand gel in every room
- Have PPE readily available
- Avoid handwashing reusable items such as bedpans and urine bottles
- All these measures will be in place. But staff and patients may have changed, and it is always good practice to make sure everyone is reminded of the high hygiene standards you keep in your workplace.
Have you checked your washer disinfectors?
If you are using reusable equipment, you probably already use a washer disinfector. But, when was the last time you checked that it was in full working order? The last thing you want is one of your machines to stop working correctly during the busy winter months.
If you haven’t already, you should:
- Check the cycle length isn’t too long. If it is, there may be a problem with the machine
- Make sure the devices are reaching the necessary high temperature to ensure heat disinfection is taking place
- Check all the spray arms and nozzles are rotating correctly so all equipment can be cleaned properly
- Check the condition of door deals
- Clean the strainers and filters
- Check detergent levels
- Schedule a maintenance check
- After-care service
If you bought your washer disinfector from us, you should already benefit from our maintenance and servicing package. We organise for a trained engineer to visit you regularly to check that your washer disinfectors and bedpan washers are all working perfectly. If you haven’t scheduled your maintenance check, this is your reminder to do it now.
Need a washer disinfector?
If you are still washing potentially infectious equipment by hand or want to replace existing machines, then get in touch. We can help you choose the right washer disinfector, come and fit it for you, and ensure it stays in perfect working order.
How we can help
Franke Medical Oy is part of the worldwide Franke Group. They have become one of the world’s leading manufacturers of automatic cleaning and thermal disinfection machines. And Dekomed is their sole UK distributor. The DEKO range includes automatic washer-thermal disinfectors and drying cabinets that help support your infection control procedures.
To find out more about what we do and how we can help you, get in touch.