We all think that the hospital is the right place to go when we’re sick. The doctors and nurses should help you to leave feeling much better than when you got there.
If you have to stay in the hospital for a while, you expect it to be clean. You also want the people looking after you to be clean as well. So what can you do if it’s dirty and it makes you sick? Can you sue the hospital?
Dirty hospitals can make you feel ill
Bacteria is what makes us sick. In hospitals, there are bacteria everywhere. Because there are so many people in one place who are ill, there are lots of germs to pick up. Beds and surfaces can all carry germs. Even doctors and nurses can spread illness if they don’t keep things clean. Doctors and nurses must wear scrubs and masks. They are also supposed to wash their hands often. This is all done to stop bacteria from spreading around.
We expect hospitals to do everything they should to keep the space clean. This is the best way to stop the spread of infection or illness from person to person.
Hospital-acquired infections
Poor cleaning and staff not washing their hands can cause a hospital-acquired infection. All this means is that you picked up a bug in the hospital that you didn’t have when you arrived. You usually get one within a couple of days. You catch them because your body isn’t strong enough to fight off the germs. This is due to the fact you’re already sick. Sometimes these infections can be very serious and take a long time from which to recover.
Hospitals may be breaking the law if they aren’t clean enough and it makes you sick. If this has happened to you, you may be able to make a claim.
