The 2021 Annual Members’ Meeting (AMM) of University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust (UHMBT) was held ‘virtually’ via Microsoft Teams on Wednesday 16 November 2021.
The meeting included highlights and achievements from the past year as well as a discussion of the next steps and developments planned for the year ahead.
Question:
With the forever urgent need for hygiene in 'Trust premises & cost to heat water why are regulators not set to ensure the proper hand washing facility is used & a comfortable temperature provided?
Answer:
To comply with HTM 04 and HSG 274, all Hospitals must circulate and provide hot water, at the point of use, at a minimum of 55 deg C. This is done to ensure any bacterium within the water, particularly Legionella, is eradicated.
Following this, all baths, bidets and showers have their temperatures reduced to 41 deg C to prevent immersion scalding (38 deg C for bidets) This is done using a "Thermostatic Mixing Valve" (TMV) which mixes hot and cold water at the point of use.
In relation to sinks and wash hand basins a TMV is installed in areas occupied by the young, vulnerable adults and areas where patients may use the basin unattended. In all other areas (typically public areas) an assessment is undertaken to decide whether a "Yellow Warning Sign" is sufficient to prevent scalding or a TMV
We try to limit the number of TMVs installed for engineering reasons and also because they are costly to install, service and maintain.