2gether Support Solutions managing director Paul Ryder and Liz Shutler, the Trust’s deputy chief executive, met last week to recognise the commitment of 2gether and Trust teams in response to the New Cleaning Standards (NCS) which went live and fully operational on 1 October.

The ‘Commitment to Cleanliness Charter’, which was signed in May by the Trust’s chair Niall Dickson and chief executive Tracey Fletcher, sets out our commitment to achieving a consistently high standard of cleanliness within all our healthcare facilities.

Paul Ryder, 2gether Support Solutions managing director, said:

“The new standards reflect modern methods of cleaning and infection prevention and control (IPC), and focus on a collaborative approach.

“The 2gether Support Solutions Facilities team has worked tirelessly over the past year to ensure a smooth transition to the delivery of a new cleaning service for the Trust.

“We are pleased to have worked so closely with the Trust in developing an agreement that continues to keep patients, visitors and staff safe.”

Liz Shutler, deputy chief executive for the Trust, said:

“This has been a huge collective effort and I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone involved, for their dedication, time and determination shown in supporting the delivery of this venture.

“The NCS bring new levels of transparency about the standards patients, visitors, and staff expect and I’m so pleased with how well our staff teams have embraced it and are working to ensure its smooth roll-out for the benefit of those we care for across Kent.”

Noticeboards in public areas across all five sites are now displaying the Charter alongside star ratings reflecting audit scores for each public-facing functional area.

A period of embedding the new processes now follows so that domestic and audit teams can ensure that the new ways of working across the front-line are well established and become routine.

If you are still unclear about what the new cleaning standards mean for you, or you have any questions about the service being delivered in your area, please get in touch with your dedicated head of facilities or facilities service manager.

For more information and reference materials visit our new cleaning standards page.

You can also find more guidance on the NHS England website