The SystemSURE Plus rapid hygiene monitoring system from Hygiena International has recently received the Innovation Award of Best of 2009 Infection Control Technological Innovation by Healthcare Publications.

SystemSURE Plus instantly detects invisible contamination that should have been removed by cleaning. It consists of a small portable instrument and a simple all-in-one reagent swab device and gives numerical results in seconds. The appliance of science (known as ATP bioluminescence) gives a direct objective measurement of cleanliness and removes the subjectivity usually associated with visual assessment of cleaning.

The system has several applications and provides real-time objective data for management and training purposes as well as demonstrating due diligence and getting value from cleaning contractors.

The SystemSURE Plus is now the system of choice for a number of hospitals and healthcare establishments. It provides assurance that cleaning has been done to the best possible standard.

In the case study from North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust shown on Health Exec TV (and also available at Hygiena’s website), Kevin Oxley (director of operations) explains that they “have introduced the Hygiena SystemSURE Plus to help combat the increase in HCAI. We are seeing a growth in antibiotic-resistant bacteria and therefore we need to be able to validate our cleaning process to ensure that we can stop the spread of infections. Our cleaning score would have certainly improved since the introduction of the Hygiena SystemSURE Plus and we have seen a corresponding decrease within the number of infections in our patients, so we feel strongly that it’s helping combat the increase that we are seeing elsewhere within the NHS. The system is being used across the trust by our quality monitoring officers, by our ward matrons and domestic supervisors, so that we can have instantaneous feedback on the standards of cleaning at ward level.”

The reports generated through the SystemSURE software SureTrend “are issued to all the relevant people; e.g. nursing manager and matrons, so that we can all work together as a team to rectify the problems that occur.”

The SystemSURE Plus can now make invisible contamination visible, and generate rapid meaningful information to enable managers to monitor the delivery of cleaning services and ensure value for money.