East London wards to receive food hygiene-style star ratings

The new star ratings will be on display to patients, staff and the public and are replacing the old percentage-score system in an effort to be more easily understood.

Rating areas rather than separate staff groups will also, according to an NHS report, encourage “collective responsibility” and inspire “people to work together to achieve high standards”.

The cleaning standards for hospitals have been revamped for the first time since 2007 to reflect “modern methods of cleaning” and lessons learned from the Covid pandemic.

Responding to the news, chief nurse at King George Hospital and Queen’s Hospital, Kathryn Halford, said: “We work hard to maintain the highest standard of cleanliness on our wards.

“We will be looking in detail at this report to ensure we are meeting the new national standards.”

A spokesperson for Barts Health NHS Trust, which runs Whipps Cross Hospital, said: “This new star rating will provide a more meaningful indication for our patients, public and staff regarding the cleanliness of the environment in which they work or access our services.

“A key change for Barts Health will be the use of a star rating rather than a percentage in audit scores, which has been the standard up until the new national guidance was published."

The new standards were released on April 26 but organisations will have up to 18 months to make any changes necessary.

For more breaking news, local headlines and features, ‘like’ our Facebook page.

We also have a Twitter account: @ELondonGuardian