§ Tim LoughtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many visits have been made by patient environment action teams since their inception; which hospital trusts have been visited; and what improvements have been registered by hospital trusts visited by patient environment action teams. [71089]
§ Mr. Lammy[holding answer 18 July 2002]: Since publication of the NHS Plan, patient environment action teams (PEATs) teams have undertaken four rounds of assessment visits to acute National Health Service trusts. The first was made in Autumn 2000 to "spot check" the quality of the patient environment, validate the trusts' action plans, and identify what work still needed to be done to raise standards. Subsequent visits were made during Spring and Autumn 2001 and Spring 2002, to assess improvements made and to determine whether trusts had been successful in bringing standards up to a higher level.
PEAT visits have largely concentrated on the acute sector and assessments have taken place at all of the acute trusts; some of the larger mental health units have also been assessed. To date a total of 1,289 unannounced inspections have been carried out. Details of all the trusts' including examples of advancements in improvements made, can be found in "The NHS Plan—Clean Hospitals" report which can be located on the clean hospitals web site at www.cleanhospitals.com
The clean hospitals' programme has been a clear success and has had a significant impact on standards of cleanliness, decoration and supporting services. Patient areas, visitors' toilets, outpatients and accident and emergency units have been thoroughly cleaned and maintained. Many have been refurbished and redecorated. Trusts have increased resources devoted to maintaining standards of cleanliness—some have employed additional cleaning staff, others have increased the frequency with which their hospitals are cleaned. There are now no hospitals in England where cleaning standards are found to be less than acceptable.