** WOLVO HOSPITAL 1 **

HOSPITAL HANDWASHING CLASSES "MONEY DOWN THE DRAIN"

13-02-2007

Is this biggest waste of money yet by thecash-strapped NHS?Edward Cameron reports on the West Midlands hospital trust which has laid off staff - but is now running courses telling volunteers how to wash their hands.

With the NHS reeling from super-bugs it seems that in Wolverhampton every precaution is being taken to protect patients - from people who want to help them.

The Royal Wolverhampton HospitalsTrust - which manages both New Cross Hospital and the city's Eye Infirmary - has just issued an edictinsisting that all volunteers will have to give up more of their free time and go back to school.

It doesn't matter how little directdirect contact they have with patients -they all have to attend a seminar.

And if they don't, they'll no longer be allowed to help.

Everyone from the League of Friends, to the Women's Royal Voluntary Service to the hospital radio station must be drilled on how to wash their hands and protect patient confidentiality. There'll be instructions on how to lift someone properly.

Oh, yes, and they'll alsohave to have a Criminal Records Bureau check, paid for from the financially-stricken health service.

One volunteer said: “I can understand the CRB check. It makes sense because regular visitors to the hospital might start to get an idea of where they keep drugs or other valuable items.

“But when it comes to potential infection a volunteer has no more contact with a patient than one of their own normal visitors, often less. What next? Will everyone have to attend a seminar to be allowed on to the premises? And how much does all this cost?”

He added: “On one hand it's nice that they care enough about us to invest time but I do have to question the case study scenarios. They almost read like we're meant to spy on nurses!”

The seminars willlook at complaints management and get volunteers to discuss various scenarios including dealing with patients with dementia and even several case studies involving nurses who discuss patients' problems within earshot of others, or who fail to lift them properly.

It could mean that volunteers become "grasses" snitching to management about their paid colleagues - threatening toundermine trust between colleagues.

The biggest beef though will be financial - last year the Royal Wolverhampton Trust announced 300 job cuts at New Cross after revealing a deficit of £37 million.

With that scale of debt, money on seminars for voluntary workers - including hand-washing classes - looks suspiciously like money down the drain.

For the Trust's response see the next story on this website. or just click here.

Is the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Hospitals Trust pouring dosh down the drain by forcing volunteers to attendthese seminars?Or is it money well spent? Leave a comment on our messageboard.