Must say that while checking over today’s news alerts I was gobsmacked to read this demonstrator’s sign, which suggests that the privatisation of cleaning and other support services will automatically increase the threat of hospital superbug infections. She was taking part in a rally, supported by the Canadian Union of Public Employees, at Ontario’s Etobicoke General Hospital against its plan to contract out 215 cleaning, portering, waste management and laundry services jobs. The story is that back in 2006, an outbreak of C. difficile at the state’s Sault Ste. Marie Hospital killed 10 patients directly and another eight indirectly, and that the hospital, which had privatised housekeeping services, was consequently forced to increase cleaning staff by 40% and institute a range of other measures. According to CUPE, which cites other examples too, management is making a similar mistake by privatising housekeeping and other services at Etobicoke, which it says will risk patient health & safety, increase hospital overcrowding and undermine infection control practices. Hmmmm…

CUPE claims that the “for-profit operator's motivation to maximise revenues will mean lower staffing levels, higher staff turnover and fractured teamwork between in-house staff and contracted out workers,” and that “contracting out hospital services such as cleaning is dangerous and unsafe and magnifies the risk of acquiring infections". It says that instead of contracting out "to cut costs," management should be investing resources in improving health & safety at a time when microbial resistance is causing higher rates of hospital acquired infections."

I agree with CUPE’s claim that appropriate staffing levels and rigorous infection control practices are key to maintaining good hygiene in healthcare settings, but not its claim that these are automatically compromised by privatisation. My view is that if you choose your contractor wisely, the resultant increased efficiency within the cleaning processes, superior buying power and investment in the best technology - along with ongoing staff training, can pave the way to cuts in staff numbers while improving cleaning & hygiene standards enormously… That reductions in staffing levels don’t always reflect a need to cut costs but can stem from a contractor’s specialist experience and all-round positive input. Where do you stand on this one?