Link: Belfast Telegraph.
The number of cleaners in Ulster hospitals has been slashed over the last 10 years – despite concerns over soaring superbugs cases, it can be revealed today.
Newly-obtained figures show that the Royal Group of Hospitals – Northern Ireland’s biggest hospital group – had 565 cleaning staff in 1995, with a full-time total of 365.
However, the current overall headcount shows a reduction in the number of cleaners – with a total now of 511 employed along with a full-time tally of 324.
According to the latest figures, Belfast City Hospital had 264 cleaners in 1995 and full-time tally of 156 compared to a present-day total of 204 and a full-time total of just 40.
A loss of cleaners at the City may take into account the closure of the Jubilee Hospital – but there is concern, nevertheless, that numbers of cleaners have not been significantly increased despite province- wide problems with MRSA.
