'Disappointing' infection issues found in hospitals

Actual use of personal protective equipment like gloves and aprons was "variable"

Spot-checks at 15 hospitals in Wales found preventing infection and managing medicines continue to be issues, says Healthcare Inspectorate Wales (HIW).

Inspectors visited six health boards during 2015/16 and found patients very satisfied and "many committed, caring staff".

But they also found areas needing improvement and "disappointingly" some had been identified only a year before.

HIW has made 14 further recommendations in its annual report.

Chief executive Dr Kate Chamberlain told BBC Wales: "We saw a lot of good care out there - well run wards and committed staff and the vast majority of patients we spoke to were very satisfied with the experience they had and with the quality of care they received."

But she said it was "disappointing" three key messages were coming out again:

• Medicines management - issues involving storage and prescribing and making sure patients were wearing the right wristband. Strength and frequency of dose were missing from medication in some wards visited

• Infection prevention and control - including occasions when staff were not changing their gloves or aprons when they should.

• Documentation - care plans and risk assessments frequently lacked detail

Dr Chamberlain said it was "surprising" such issues continued to be raised.

She added: "While we get a very good response from health boards to specific issues which we raise, we want to make sure they've all got a chance to look at them to ensure these issues aren't replicated elsewhere and ensure we spread the learning to underpin the basic standards that need to be in place everywhere."

Dr Chamberlain believes the right systems needed to be consistent and embedded in the culture while six out of the eight inspections also raised issues relating to staffing levels and skills mix.

But Abertawe Bro Morgannwg health board - with inspections at Morriston and Singleton hospitals in Swansea - was singled out for praise and highlighted for good practice.