HEALTH AUTHORITIES SCORE HIGH IN HOUSEKEEPING AUDIT

VICTORIA – Results from the most recent independent provincial housekeeping audit show that British Columbia hospitals and health authority-run long-term care facilities meet the prescribed benchmark for cleanliness. For the second year in a row, all participating health authorities scored above the benchmark rate of 85 per cent in the audits carried out by Westech Systems, Inc. B.C. was the first province to implement provincewide quality and cleanliness standards, which apply to all hospitals and health authority-managed facilities.

“We are pleased that all health authorities met this high benchmark for housekeeping services,” said Minister of Health Services George Abbott. “Housekeeping provides an important function in our health facilities, helping prevent the spread of infection as well as ensuring the safety and comfort of patients and staff. These audits are another example of our accountability and transparency to residents of British Columbia.”

The audits of these facilities were done between August 2007 and March 2008 in five health authorities, as Westech moves towards a continual auditing of facilities throughout the year. Previous audits were done in 2005 and 2006. All audits are done by a third party, are independent, and are unannounced. Westech audits approximately 10 per cent of rooms in a facility, placing a higher priority on higher risk areas such as operating rooms and emergency departments. These audits are in addition to internal audits done by health authorities, based on the same provincial criteria set out by the Westech audits. Information on housekeeping audit results is posted to health authority websites.

HOUSEKEEPING AUDIT RESULTS

The average scores for each health authority for each independent audit are as follows. The standard benchmark for the audit is 85 per cent.

Health Authority	2005 Score	2006 Score	2007/08 Score
Fraser Health	86.14	87.26	87.44
Interior Health	90.36	90.09	N/A
Northern Health	88.43	87.32	87.20
Provincial Health Services Authority	85.22	92.44	89.41
Vancouver Coastal Health	87.64	85.57	87.47
Vancouver Island Health Authority	84.46	94.52	87.24

NOTE: Interior Health did not participate in the 2007/08 survey – but is continuing their regular internal audits of housekeeping, which continue to show similar results. As well, Interior Health is participating in the next provincial third-party audit, which is currently underway.