Located in Lucan, the Hermitage Medical Clinic is renowned for its commitment to providing excellence in patient care. Its Housekeeping Team have now reinforced this message and are celebrating the receipt of an award in recognition of its excellence Housekeeping standards. The Housekeeping Service received a Gold CAP Award, the highest available from independent assessors of Housekeeping standards.

CAP awards are presented only to teams who meet the highest standards in the Housekeeping and hospitality industry. To qualify for the award, establishments undergo a rigorous one-day inspection. For establishments aiming for the highest standards, the inspection is unannounced so the on-site housekeeping teams have to ensure that the exacting standards are upheld at all times not just for a one-off visit. After the inspection, each organisation is graded and notified as to whether they have met the required standards and given an action plan to further develop their services. Around 40% of organisations fail to meet award-winning standards but join the CAP (Continuous Advancement Programme) to improve standards. The Hermitage Medical Clinic was awarded the highest possible award Gold during its first inspection but is still striving to raise its standards even further.

With the appraisal of the Housekeeping department including the examination of the systems of works, audit tools, staff training, assessing working practices and probing into the financial records so as to gain an all-around picture of the efficiency and quality of the service, the team at the Hermitage Medical Clinic can be very proud of their achievement.

Mary Shore, COO/Head of Nursing & Clinical Services said “In terms of helping us provided the highest levels of care with the most up-to-date medical equipment, the importance of the Housekeeping team and their service cannot be stressed enough. They play a vital role in the hospital and I am delighted that they have been recognised for their hard work and achievement.”

“The CAP award inspection was a meticulous procedure which involved the study and assessment of every area of the service, so we were thrilled to receive the GOLD award in recognition of all that we do to deliver the best possible housekeeping standards. It’s good to be told by an independent outsider that we are offering patients such high standards at the Hermitage Medical Clinic.”

Ian Jackson, an independent assessor from CAP which inspects hospitals, schools, hotels and businesses throughout Ireland and the UK was impressed with what he saw at the Hermitage Medical Clinic. “We have a set of strict criteria based on government and industry guidelines which I am pleased to say that Hermitage Medical Clinic achieved an excellent outcome,” comments Mr Jackson. “One of the most impressive observations from the visit was the Clinic’s and Housekeeping Team’s desire to continue to push for further progression.”