Responding to approximately 3,000 emergency ‘999’ calls each day, cleaning efficiency is a high priority for the West Midlands Ambulance Trust. Maintaining the highest hygiene standards across their ambulance fleet is critical in delivering safe patient care. As their primary supplier of cleaning and janitorial products, Arrow was approached to explore ways to optimise their cleaning processes.
The Problem
The Trust required a comprehensive review of their cleaning operations to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and maintain rigorous hygiene standards. With demanding daily schedules and high volumes of patients, time-saving solutions and consistent hygiene practices were essential.
The Solution
As part of the WorkSmarter Assessment, we worked closely with the Trust to gain a clear understanding of its cleaning and hygiene operation. Through a structured assessment of processes, resources and working practices, we identified opportunities to improve efficiency and support measurable operational improvements. This involved:
Assessing the procurement process
for cleaning, hygiene, and clinical products.
Immersing our team
within the Trust’s daily operations, shadowing ambulance station staff across various roles.
Identifying opportunities
to streamline cleaning methods and systems
The Outcome
Following our comprehensive assessment, we presented the Trust with a detailed report outlining our key findings and improvement recommendations. The implemented solutions delivered significant results:
20-30% reduction in deep cleaning time, with new, streamlined processes reducing task time for weekly deep cleans.
Faster glove dispensing, introducing a quicker, more hygienic nitrile glove dispensing method that saves valuable paramedic time.
Enhanced mopping, sourcing a highly absorbent, lint-free mop that provided better performance on ambulance floors and ramps.
Developing a new method to rapidly clean AED bags, which are critical for maintaining hygiene during emergency operations.
