Decision report 201004685

Summary
Ms C complained that a nursing assistant did not adhere to proper hygiene controls when Ms C's sister was being barrier nursed, in that she entered the room without protective clothing. Ms C also complained that no-one told the family that barrier nursing was no longer required. We upheld the complaint about hygiene control as the board accepted that the nursing assistant failed to use proper protective clothing. They explained that this was because she had understood that she was urgently needed in the room. As the board had already discussed this incident with the nursing assistant, however, we made no recommendations on this. We also upheld Ms C's complaint that staff failed to tell the family when barrier nursing was no longer required. We did not uphold complaints that the nursing assistant failed to use a side plate and gloves when serving toast and about the way the charge nurse handled the complaint.

Recommendations
We recommend that Ayrshire and Arran NHS Board:
• remind the staff involved in this complaint of the need to provide information about, and to involve relatives in, decision-making about barrier nursing; and
• remind the staff involved in this complaint about the need to keep good records both about the nursing care provided (in this case barrier nursing) and details of important communication with relatives.