Westmead cleaning staff recognised for stellar efforts

Keeping the visitor toilets clean in Westmead Hospital’s busy intensive care unit (ICU) has earned the hospital’s cleaning team a well-deserved award.

Patient feedback, received via the new My Experience Matters survey, revealed concerns that the ICU’s visitor toilets were not clean enough.

Westmead Hospital’s cleaning staff, led by general services manager Raynelle Howat, mobilised, improving the servicing of the facilities.

“I worked with my team of cleaners and we decided to change our scheduling,” Raynelle explained.

“The toilets were being cleaned once or twice a day; when we received the feedback from our visitors, we realised this was not enough.

“We now check and clean them five times a day; we want to ensure our families and visitors have clean, hygienic facilities to use when they are visiting a family member in hospital.”

Raynelle and her team were awarded the first Patient Experience Superstar award on May 22 for their efforts.

The award recognises individuals and teams, who have gone abov

e and beyond to improve the patient experience.

WSLHD Patient and Carer Experience manager Kay de Ridder said all staff had a role to play in improving a patient’s experience.

“It can be something big or even the smallest change that can improve someone’s experience when they enter our facilities,” she said.

Westmead Hospital general manager Andrew Newton and WSLHD nursing & midwifery executive director Joanne Edwards were on-hand to present the awards.

Congratulations to Raynelle, Zorica, Violeta, Rosa, Michael and the afternoon bed team, who also monitor and clean after hours.