A matron is to take charge of a hospital’s cleaning services in a new bid to eradicate infection.
Kathryn Patrick has been given the job of boosting cleaning services at the North Bristol NHS Trust.
Her job will be full-time but she will work some nursing shifts to keep up her professional expertise, the Nursing Standard reported.
She will be responsible for a domestic service team of 400 cleaners and will be supported by two managers.
But the Infection Prevention Society has queried the approach.
Chair Judy Potter said there were undoubtedly benefits to the role.
She added: "I would rather see matrons with cleaning responsibility as part of their role, not their sole position."
Ms Patrick said she was "proud" of her new role.
She said: “Every one who works in the Trust has an important job to do and the cleaning team have a fundamental part to play in helping to ensure that patients can expect clean surroundings when they access any of our services in hospital and the community, and in this respect the domestic team can play their part in helping to combat health care associated infections.
“Being a clinician myself, I understand where other clinicians are coming from and what their needs and expectations are from the domestic team and I will be working hard to strengthen this relationship.
“I will also be making it a priority to talk to patients and find out what they think about the cleanliness at the Trust and what they think we should be doing to make things better."
She added: This is an exciting new role and I am very proud to be one of the first clinical matrons to lead a domestic services team in the UK."
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