Cleanliness of hospitals in England

The cleanliness of our hospitals provides a visible, tangible signal to patients and the public about the quality of clinical care they may experience. It is, of course, only a signal, not a direct or absolute measure, but it is something that everybody can understand.

A clean, tidy and well-maintained environment is a part of the decent and safe standard of healthcare that patients have a right to expect.

In 2005, we carried out a rapid inspection to obtain a “snapshot” of cleanliness in hospitals. In December 2005, we published a report that presented our findings of that inspection and provided some initial information about standards and where improvements could be made.

A snapshot of hospital cleanliness in England (pdf 751kb) (opens new window)

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