Health chiefs yesterday ordered one of Scotland’s biggest hospitals to make a series of improvements after an unannounced inspection sparked concerns over infection control.
Aberdeen Royal Infirmary was found to have failed to keep infected patients properly isolated, and exposed others to dirty commodes, during a two-day inspection.
The Healthcare Environment Inspectorate yesterday published a report calling for improvements in six areas – four of which are classed as high priority and must be made within weeks.
The report said inspectors who visited the hospital in August had seen two patients in two different wards who were suffering from infections but were not properly isolated.
On another occasion, isolation room doors were found to have been left open. Inspectors also noted that 11 out of 16 commodes at the hospital had been “visibly contaminated” with blood or body fluid.
The report further stated that a patient claimed to have been drinking out of the same glass for six days.