A blood-splattered door handle and faeces-ridden floor at St Helier Hospital were not cleaned for days despite complaints, a former patient has claimed.
The woman, who did not want to be named, said people were left to walk through the mess for five days in the gynocological ward before it was cleared away.
Vomit was not cleaned from a toilet floor for two hours and black mould in a shower stopped her from washing out of fears of contracting an infection on an open wound, she claimed.
She claimed the ward was only cleaned once in seven days and when other patients drew attention to the lack of cleaning, nothing happened.
The former patient, who stayed at the hospital for seven days after Christmas, said she was so disgusted she went home and cried after her stay and was now fearful of returning.
She said: “It was really appalling. I felt dirty and degraded.
“You go to hospital to get better, but it doesn’t fill you with much confidence or comfort to be treated in such a disgusting environment.’’
Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust did not answer the Sutton Guardian when asked who was responsible for cleaning services at the hospital and whether the claim would be investigated.
It also did not answer how regularly wards are inspected and cleaned and who had responsibility for checking it.
A spokesman said: “We are sorry to hear that a patient is unhappy with the care she received. We would encourage her to contact us directly so that we can investigate the matter further.
“We are committed to making sure all of our patients receive high quality care in a clean and welcoming environment.
“A recent unannounced inspection by the government’s health watchdog, the Healthcare Commission, found the Trust to be fully compliant with the highest hygiene and infection control standards.”
However Sutton and Cheam MP Paul Burstow said it was not the first time he had received complaints from constituents about hygeine standards at the Trust and said had sent a letter to the Trust chief executive to ask for an urgent inquiry.
He said: “What my constituent experience reveals is a deeper problem. Where is the leadership on the ward, just where does the buck stop for such appalling hygiene standards?
“The Trust will say the hospital infections are going down, but stories like this should be ringing the alarm bells in the Trust.
“What is required is zero tolerance of lax cleaning standards and real accountability when patients concerns fall on deaf ears.”
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