"Infection control"

Not once did I witness a member of the healthcare team ranging from assistant practitioners to consultant wash their hands before entering the clinical area, before touching the patient, after touching the patient and on leaving the clinical area. The patient had an open head wound. The staff opted for using a pair of gloves perhaps thinking this was a satisfactory way of reducing cross contamination.

The patient did not have an identification bracelet whilst having bloods taken, routine observations and even a CT scan. I had to request this before the doctors saw the patient.

The junior doctor was very critical in her approach to the cause of the injury.

The staff nurse attending to the head wound did not introduce herself, did not wash her hands, opened a dressing pack on the examination couch on top of clothing, put on the sterile gloves then began to manoeuvre the patient trolley to the desired position before cleaning the open wound rubbing backwards and forwards over the open area. Clearly ANTT procedures were not in her training along with her very curt attitude. During this procedure she left the cubicle only to return to use non sterile gloves to complete her procedure of gluing the open lesion. During this procedure she informed the patient not to touch the wound as it will become infected... Does East Lancashire Hospital have an impending CQC visit looming???