Hospital staff in health fear

Patients at Cannock's hospital are being put at risk as cleaners working on the wards say they are being forced to cut corners because of a staff shortage, it is claimed.

Members of the hospital's housekeeping team have today spoken out saying they feel "guilty" because they can't do their job properly. Bosses from private firm Medirest, who have run the cleaning contract since 1996, were due to meet with staff today.

The move follows the use of an anonymous phoneline to complain about the situation at the Brunswick Road site.

One of the 39 workers, who did not wish to be named, told the Express & Star cleaners were given just two hours to clean three operating theatres at the hospital with no help.

She said: "They are cutting corners. We are not cleaning the hospital effectively. When people are off sick we still have to do the same amount of work and on top of that cover for the girl that is off.

"It's the patients who will suffer when we have to cut corners and we want the public to know what is going on. We feel guilty because we are not doing our job properly."

Darragh Ooi, spokesman for Medirest said: "We can confirm that a member of our staff has raised concerns about staffing levels at Cannock Chase Hospital. In light of this, the operational performance manager for the area, will be meeting with all staff to discuss any issues they might have."

Karen Morrey, chief operating officer at Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust said the hospital cleaning was regularly inspected adding: "We would like to reassure patients and visitors to our hospital that the standards and results for both cleaning and infection control at Cannock Chase Hospital remain high.

"The trust treats every concern about standards very seriously. As Medirest staff had previously raised these concerns with us anonymously, we had already discussed these issues with Medirest. The Medirest response we received was detailed."