The Health Information and Quality Authority has been critical of some hand hygiene practises at South Tipperary General Hospital in a report published today. 

HIQA carried out the unannounced inspection of the Intensive Care Unit, The Coronary Care Unit and the Medical One ward in July. 

It found the hand hygiene compliance rate on the day to be low at just 39%. However HIQA admits that the finding is based on a low sample. 

It found issues regarding blood monitoring at the ICU wher blood stains were apparent on a blood gas machine. red stains were also visible on a mattress cover and a pillow in Medical One ward in July.

Other patient equipment stored in an ante room leading into the coronary care unit were also foun to be unclean stained or have dust on them. Various levels of dust were observed in some areas generally on floor edges, corners, and high surfaces. 

However the report found that the ICU was clean at the time of the inspection and noted that it was evident that there was a strong awareness of infection prevention and control standards at the unit. 

It was also acknowledged that the hospital demonstrated a general increase in compliance since hand hygiene audits were carried out in 2011