Evaluation In Scotland, Health Facilities Scotland will be responsible for assessing compliance with the implementation of the National Colour Coding Scheme and will be monitored via the existing monitoring returns.
NHS Borders NSS Facilities Services NHS Lothian
May 2008
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde
NHS Lanarkshire Golden Jubilee National Hospital The State Hospital Board for Scotland
June 2008
NHS Forth Valley
NHS Tayside
July 2008
NHS Grampian NHS Fife NHS Highland
August 2008
The support training will be delivered to each Board over a 2 day rolling programme with a session taking place every 20 minutes. The training will be available to everyone and Boards should make every effort to allow as many staff as possible to attend one of the sessions. Attendance sheets will be collected after each session with copies provided to Boards for recording purposes. Awareness training booklets will be provided to all Boards and these should be readily available for all staff that are unable to attend the training sessions. Locations for the two days and specific dates of support training sessions will be agreed with Boards directly and co-ordinated via Belinda OShea at Health Facilities Scotland. Further details may be obtained from Belinda OShea, Health Facilities Scotland, contact details below. Health Facilities Scotland 4th Floor, Empire House, 131 West Nile Street, Glasgow G1 2RX Tel: 0141 - 352 5545 Fax: 0141 - 332 0703
Colour Coding For Hospital
Cleaning Materials and Equipment
Foreward Patient safety is at the heart of the Government strategy Better Health Better Care. The reduction of Healthcare Associated Infection (HAI) within NHS services across Scotland is critical in making the journey of all patients safer within our Scottish healthcare system. The HAI Task Force has been working closely with NHS Boards over the last five years to identify ways of reducing HAI risk to patients and staff. In 2007 the National Patient Safety Agency developed a national colour coding system for cleaning materials and equipment which ensures that these items are not used in multiple areas, therefore reducing the risk of cross-infection. The HAI Task Force believes that this will have a significant and positive impact on the control of infection within healthcare environments. As Director of Health Facilities Scotland and a member of the HAI Task Force, I am confident that the implementation of the colour coding for cleaning materials across Scotland will ensure consistency and support continuous improvement which provides benefits to patients and staff alike. HFS will be supporting Boards in implementing this by initiatives across NHSScotland.
Paul Kingsmore Director Health Facilities Scotland
Red
Blue
Green
Yellow
Bathrooms, washrooms, showers, toilets, basins and bathroom floors
General areas including wards, departments
offices and basins in public places
Catering departments, ward kitchen areas
and patient food service at ward level
Isolation areas
Colour Coding Hospital Cleaning
Materials and Equipment
Cleaning materials that should
be colour coded
Micro Fibre
Project Implementation
Colour coding of hospital cleaning materials and
equipment ensures that these items are not used in multiple areas, therefore reducing the risk of cross-infection.
All materials and equipment, for example, cloths,
mops, buckets, aprons and gloves should be colour coded. The method used to colour code items should be clear, permanent and in accordance with existing local practice.
Micro fibre is no different to other materials and
manufacturers have quickly responded to produce all of the necessary colour coded materials. The mop-heads will be provided with 4 coloured detachable tags, three should be removed and the remaining one colour codes the mop-head. Because micro fibre materials last longer, those Boards who have invested in such a system will find it difficult to meet the rollout deadline without incurring significant cost, therefore it has been agreed that as Boards renew micro fibre stock, the coloured tag version will be sourced thus supporting the gradual movement over to the new system.
HFS will support Boards during the
implementation to:
In 2007 the National Patient Safety Agency
(NPSA) developed this Colour Coding Scheme for cleaning materials in England and Wales. The HAI Task Force has recommended that this Colour Code Scheme be adopted throughout Scotland as standard in order to improve the safety of hospital cleaning, ensure consistency throughout Scotland, England and Wales, and provide clarity for staff. Discussions have taken place at each Board through the Domestic Services Advisory Group and as a result of these discussions, and consultation with the Scottish Government, funding has been provided to the Boards via Health Facilities Scotland.
Materials and equipment that do
not need to be colour coded Cleaning products such as detergents and disinfectants do not need to be colour coded. Also, the code does not extend to main catering departments or equipment (for example, chopping boards and knives) where there is already a well-recognised and well-established procedure in place to ensure food hygiene and food separation issues are addressed. Boards who presently use paper towels as cloths do not need to source colour coded paper towels, but do need to ensure that their use is strictly controlled to single use.
Supporting Materials A free starter pack to support the implementation of the National Colour Coding Scheme containing A4 and A3 posters and pocket-sized reference cards with lanyards will be sent by Health Facilities Scotland to every appropriate NHS organisation.
adopt the National Colour Coding
Scheme where existing practice differs; develop an action plan for introducing the National Colour Coding Scheme; raise awareness of any revised practice amongst healthcare staff.
