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| Karen
Silverlock, Helen Crompton and Angela Wales at work in the Clean
Room. This picture shows only part of the new facility, it
occupies the space that also formerly accommodated reception,
the washroom, staff room, toilets and offices. |
ALTHOUGH
not a great deal more than ten years old, it became apparent that
sterile services at the Princess Royal needed major investment.
A flood of new
legislation in recent years has affected all sterile services
departments. Ever higher international, European and UK standards had to
be met.
At the Princess
Royal, major renovation of the cramped department and new equipment was
required.
Work on the £2m
scheme got under way early in 2003. It provided major challenges for a
hard pressed staff, often suffering recruitment problems.
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| First
stage …Yan Facon and Jonathan Nuguid deal with the used
instruments coming into the department in the new wash room. |
Keeping production
going was a priority. So with no spare room for expansion, the work had
to be carefully phased to ensure not more than one section was
undergoing upheaval at any one time.
Now the building
work is complete and new equipment installed,
The department
meets the rigorous standards that have been laid down.
For the staff,
working conditions have improved in a reorganised more spacious
department.
And they no longer
have to change elsewhere in the hospital. They now have their own male
and female changing rooms with lockers, toilets and showers.
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| Ade
Adjamu and senior supervisor Diane Southorn in the new sterile
store. Diane has seen many changes since she started work as a
doctor’s maid at Cuckfield Hospital in 1963 and joined sterile
services there in 1987. |
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