Skip to content
How to choose the right cleaning provider for your hospital
To maintain the highest standards of hygiene, many NHS Trusts and healthcare bodies outsource their duties to third-party healthcare cleaning companies. But there are many providers of hospital cleaning services in the marketplace, and it can be hard to work out which one is right for your trust or site.
In this guide, we’ll look at the four main considerations when assessing providers of hospital cleaning services. We’ll remind you of some of the key areas to think about before you commit to a contract and explore why experienced healthcare cleaning companies are such a popular choice.
Reputation and experience
When putting out a tender for a new cleaning provider, you will inevitably receive expressions of interest from many different providers. They will vary in their size, experience, levels of expertise, extent to which they use technology, and how many staff members they intend to deploy on the contract.
You will probably receive tender applications from smaller, or newer, providers who may try to compete on price. However, while budget concerns are understandably a high priority, they must not come at the expense of a high-quality service, which some less experienced cleaning providers may not be able to deliver. Choosing a known name that can demonstrate a long and proven track record of success with healthcare bodies, and offers the widest range of services, is a sound basis for a decision.
Standard and enhanced accreditation
Any company can say that they are great at keeping hospitals clean. What matters, though, is whether they can clearly demonstrate their competence, and their awareness of modern standards around healthcare hygiene.
One key set of factors to look out for when assessing prospective healthcare cleaning companies are the National Standards of Healthcare Cleanliness. These standards set out the expected requirements of all NHS healthcare establishments in England, covering cleaning, auditing, demand management, data use, and other important considerations. Mitie played a leading role in shaping these standards, based on our extensive experience in the healthcare sector.
Any healthcare cleaning provider worth considering will have gained up-to-date industry accreditations that prove they operate in accordance with these standards. Checking these credentials is a vital part of the assessment process.
Qualified staff
Just as the provider itself should have all the necessary skills and credentials, the staff they employ should be similarly well-equipped. It’s very important that the workforce being deployed at your sites is fully trained and qualified. Staff should have a deep understanding of up-to-date healthcare cleaning practices.
This is another area covered by the National Standards of Healthcare Cleanliness. Providers should be able to demonstrate that they have teams that can work across multiple different healthcare environments, and that they can adapt to the unique challenges these environments present.
Use of new technology
Technology is incredibly valuable in making cleaning practices quicker, easier, more efficient and more cost-effective. For example, sensors that monitor footfall can highlight busy areas and make sure that cleaning is delivered quickly, based on demand and need. Robotic cleaners can tackle the more routine tasks in communal spaces and allow specialist cleaners more time to focus on areas, such as high touchpoints, that benefit more from the personal touch.
Any good cleaning provider will use industry-leading technology to drive a more efficient service and to implement sustainable solutions without compromising quality. What is more, they should also have the expertise to assess your current priorities and make recommendations as to which innovations would best suit your specific cleaning needs.
Mitie’s Cleaning and Hygiene Centre of Excellence gives customers the chance to see how we combine intelligence and innovation to deliver practical cleaning solutions.
What sets Mitie apart from the competition
We already work with more than 40 NHS Trusts, and we have a proven track record of success in healthcare facilities across the UK. When you partner with Mitie for your hospital cleaning, you are ticking every box. Decades of experience, access to intelligent healthcare technology, and certification with the National Standards of Healthcare Cleanliness, all combine to create an unrivalled service of solutions and support.
Take a closer look at all of our healthcare services in more detail here, or get in touch with our team to discuss your specific requirements.
Read next
What is the latest cleaning and hygiene technology?
When you think of how technology can be applied to support your business, cleaning might not be the first thing that springs to mind. But there are many innovations that are making a real…
8 Ways Hospitals Stay Safe and Clean
Hospital patients are often medically and physically vulnerable, so it is especially important their environment is kept spotlessly clean and infection-free. Why Thorough Hospital Cleaning is so Important Without scrupulous hygiene and cleaning, bacteria…
Case study: Minimising hospital infections risks with technology
To minimise hospital infections, we work with the Trust’s ‘Infection Prevention and Control’ team to continuously improve processes, procedures, and identify and utilise innovative technology.