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Concerns raised about hospital hygiene procedures

The daughter of a former nurse is to meet hospital managers after raising concerns when her mother fell ill with a winter vomiting bug.

Ann Liles’ mother, Margaret Rampling, 91, (pictured) was admitted to the Kent and Sussex Hospital in Tunbridge Wells after contracting a urine infection.

She then contracted Norovirus, also known as the winter vomiting bug, and was moved to an isolation area of a 34-bed ward.

The Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust said a floor to ceiling partition was in place to separate those with the winter vomiting bug from other patients. This is disputed by Mrs Liles.

A trust spokesman said: "We take allegations of this nature extremely seriously.

"Mrs Rampling was nursed in a completely enclosed and separate three-bedded area for patients with potentially infectious illness during times when that was clinically necessary.

"This area is separated from the rest of the ward by a solid wall to ceiling partition with its own door.

"There are chairs inside this area just for this area and chairs outside for visitors to the rest of the ward.

"Infection control is an absolute priority in all our hospitals."

The 60-year-old who runs the Crystal Palace pub in Tunbridge Wells, said: "There was no partition - the only thing separating the ward was a curtain. Chairs were stacked up in the isolation section and I saw people walk through the ward and reach around the curtain to grab a chair. Anyone was free to walk into the isolation unit, then walk through the entire hospital.

"The only source of protection was plastic gloves and an apron, but there was nothing to cover our face and stop the spread of germs.

"I do not blame any staff member, who seemed understaffed and rushed off their feet, every time we tried to raise our concerns."

Mrs Rampling is now recovering in a private hospital in Tunbridge Wells.

"My mother did her nursing training in 1938 and kept saying how conditions on the ward reminded her of those days," added Mrs Liles.

The family are due to take up an offer to meet with hospital managers.

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