Hospital breaches hygiene rules

Health inspectors on an unannounced visit to a Cambridgeshire hospital have found it breached hygiene regulations on its isolation ward.

The Healthcare Commission carries out spot-checks to see how hospitals minimise the risks of infections.

In an inspection at Hinchingbrooke Hospital in Huntingdon, officials found dirty sinks and a lack of storage for equipment and staff clothing.

Hinchingbrooke Hospital is expected to comment later.

'Prevent or minimise'

The commission's report said: "During the visit, our assessors found issues of concern in the isolation ward.

"These were brought to the urgent notice of the chief executive officer and the director of nursing and operations.

"The trust immediately initiated an urgent action plan. On the second day of our visit, we observed that the trust had implemented this plan.

"While we acknowledge that the trust has started taking action, we observed isolation facilities to be insufficient to prevent or minimise the spread of health care associated infections on the first day of our inspection."