Staff at Western Isles Hospital have been praised by inspectors for keeping people safe amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
Representatives from Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) paid a visit to the Stornoway facility over two days in July.
It highlighted areas of good practice, noting staff felt well-supported and adhered to physical distancing requirements.
But health chiefs have warned some work is still to be done – with hospital bosses promising to address the concerns “quickly”.
Positive feedback
The 86-bed hospital was inspected over July 5-6, with a focus on medical, surgical and communal areas.
Six overall positives were highlighted by HIS, including work to minimise Covid-19 transmission within the hospital.
It said staff and signs were available to direct patients, who had all been assessed prior to admission so they could get the right tests or treatment as efficiently as possible.
Inspectors said all staff wore surgical face masks at all times, and had been kept up-to-date and provided with resources to support their wellbeing.
Additionally, the report said: “Nursing staff we spoke with felt they had been supported by the infection prevention and control team throughout the pandemic.
“They also told us the team are easily contactable for advice and to support their decision making.”
Areas of improvement
However, a trio of concerns was also raised during the inspection, which NHS Western Isles has vowed to remedy.
Some woodwork and damaged flooring meant certain areas could not be fully decontaminated, amid a maintenance backlog caused by limited access during the pandemic.
The health board has also been told to replace some wash hand basins “not compliant” with national guidance and add more signs throughout Western Isles Hospital to better warn visiting staff about patients isolating for non-Covid conditions.
‘Staff have worked extremely hard’
NHS Western Isles welcomed the report and has praised employees for their efforts during the pandemic.
Nurse, chief operating officer and Allied Health Professional director, Fiona C Mackenzie, said: “Staff have worked extremely hard over the period of the pandemic to ensure that we can continue to provide high quality, safe and effective services for the local population.
“Of particular importance is that staff have felt well supported and informed and our priority is to ensure that this continues, as this translates into high-quality patient care.
“We also welcome the areas for improvement highlighted by inspectors and we have developed and agreed an action plan to ensure that improvements are quickly addressed.”