University Hospital Limerick spends €96k weekly on cleaning and washing bills

NEARLY €100,000 is spent on cleaning and washing every week at University Hospital Limerick, according to exclusive figures received by the Limerick Leader. 

Data received under freedom of information reveal the total expenditure by the UL Hospitals Group on cleaning and washing, from 2011 to August 2018.

A total of €34,422,000 was spent over this seven-year period on cleaning and washing services, supplies, purchase of equipment, clinical waste, hazardous waste, confidential and general waste, equipment maintenance, organic waste, repairs and rent and leasing of equipment.

At a press conference on the CPE superbug in September, UL Hospitals Group CEO, Prof Colette Cowan said that €4.5m was spent on staff, hygiene in 2015 “and that’s growing year-on-year”.

In 2015, €4,818,000 was spent on cleaning and washing at UHL. This rose to €5,026,000 in 2016, and dipped slightly to €5,024,000 last year. 

The Leader asked the UL Hospitals what have been the contributing factors for the expenditure increase. A spokesperson said factors include a “significant expansion” of the UHL campus; wage increases; meeting regulatory requirements and national hygiene standards; additional costs around infection prevention and control; and isolation of patients.

In 2011, €3,047,000 was spent in this area, which increased to €3,704,000 in 2012.

A total of €4,451,000 was spent in 2013, and this climbed to €4,699,000 in 2014.

As of August 2018, a total of €3,653,000 has been spent on cleaning and washing, the new figures show.

The top contractors for cleaning and washing include Noonan Services Group, SRCL, Six Log Solution, Greenstar, Berendsen, Total Cleaning Supplies, and Initial Washroom Solutions.

Since 2015, Noonan Service Group was paid €11,588,998; SRCL was paid €1,561,761; Six Log Solution was paid €877,481; Greenstar was paid €752,541; Berendsen was paid €246,002; Total Cleaning Supplies was paid €118,956; and Initial Washroom Supplies was paid €63,152. 

UL Hospitals Group said it has put in place a hybrid service, with a mixture of in-house and contracted cleaning services.