A HOSPITAL has been rapped after dirty equipment was discovered in its maternity unit.
Inspectors found blood on a birthing mat at the Vale of Leven hospital in Dunbartonshire which was in a delivery room ready for the next patient and a baby rescuscitation mask.
Two cot mattresses were also "contaminated" and there was dirt and marks on two sets of birthing stirrups in a delivery room.
Some of the dirty equipment had been included on checklists and signed by staff to confirm they had cleaned the equipment.
Others items were not included on any checklists for cleaning.
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has been ordered to ensure that all re-usable patient equipment is appropriately cleaned following use in the community
midwifery unit.
However the hospital, which was heavily criticised in 2014 following a report into Scotland's worst C.Diff outbreak, was praised for the overall standard of cleanliness across the majority of wards and specialist infection control procedures.
The unannounced inspection was carried out by the Healthcare Environment Inspectorate on April 27-28 and resulted in four requirement, which the health board said had all been met.
Dr Margaret McGuire, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Nurse Director, said: “I am pleased the report highlights that specialist infection prevention and control advice was recorded by ward staff and shared with the infection prevention and control team.
“The inspectors drew particular attention to the expertise and leadership skills of the infection prevention and control team.
“The report praises the standard of cleanliness across the majority of wards and departments visited by the inspectors.
“However, we are disappointed that the report makes four requirements, in all cases improvement work has been completed and the requirements met.
“The infection prevention and control team has delivered standard infection control precautions training to staff in the community midwifery unit (CMU). "The team and the chief midwife have also advised CMU staff of the correct procedure for de-contaminating re-usable patient equipment and maintaining it in a clean condition.”
“We have produced an improvement action plan setting out how we are actively working with our staff to ensure that the requirements from this inspection are fully implemented."
In 2014, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde was heavily criticised by an inquiry into the country's worst Clostridium difficile (C. diff) outbreak at the Vale of Leven hospital.
The probe, led by Lord MacLean, looked into care at the hospital between 2007 and 2008 and found that of 143 patients with C. diff, it was a contributory factor in 34 deaths.
The health board apologised unreservedly for a "terrible failure".
The judge said: "The inquiry has discovered serious personal and systemic failures