I attended the -almost-brand new children's A&E department at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary two weeks ago. It was a Friday night and as expected it was busy but not crowded. I at first took this to be the reason the waiting area was such a mess, but as the evening progressed I watched the cleaner do their rounds more than once and was dismayed to see nothing visibly changed. I think that they emptied the bin but, unbelievably at the tail end of the pandemic, the only toilet close to us was left blocked. Paper towels and empty food containers were strewn across the floor and dozens of half drank cups of water were on surfaces. I had my toddler with me, and continuously stopping her from drinking from dirty cups added to the stress of a late night A&E visit with tired and sick kids. I was surprised to see books and toys, which if available, should surely be getting a regular wipe down. I really don't like to complain but I can't understand how the department can be left like that. Honestly, I found it embarrassing. There were a number of families who were also stopping their small kids from picking up rubbish. I want the department to be aware that this is happening because there clearly needs to be closer supervision of cleaning practices and perhaps basic hygiene training for staff. The A&E experience was otherwise excellent, all the medical staff were great. Some were very tired, but all took time to explain what was happening, what to expect and though there was a long wait we were kept informed and updated. The staff who performed the final procedure on my Son were just incredible and had us all laughing and in high spirits during what could have been a frightening experience otherwise. I just feel that the cleanliness let these amazing people down, when surely this could be an easy thing to rectify and get right. I really hope someone sees this who can do something about it. I have photos if anyone wants to see them.
"Dirty A&E department"
About: Royal Hospital for Children and Young People (Edinburgh) / Accident & Emergency Royal Hospital for Children and Young People (Edinburgh) Accident & Emergency EH9 1LF
Posted by pluswt46 (as ),
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