Business is always booming in the medical industry – but it isn’t always clean.
In fact, if you asked the average person on the street what they thought of hospitals, they’d probably associate them mostly with dirt, grime and the norovirus.
It’s a point of view that’s understandable. The media barrage you with so many headlines about “Ebola scares!” and “MRSA fright!” that there’s little way not to.
But the private practice with fetid hygiene reports will haemorrhage customers quicker than a bedpan filling up underneath an elderly person.
And you don’t want to lose cash in a private practice – now with so much competition. In this £4billion industry, the need to keep your patch clean is vital.
With that in mind, what could you do to ensure your private practice isn’t lumped in with the superbugs and super-ill?
Let’s get clinical
While the NHS isn’t actually a hive of disease (cleanliness is at a high standard in most hospitals), they aren’t particularly well known for it.
Yet, if you’re a private practice, you can actively market yourself as having a great hygiene record.
Start, by ensuring that all your clinical waste (or waste that’s potentially hazardous) is disposed of properly, by a professional company. You can use it to market yourself, even in the smallest of ways.
A touch of class
Décor isn’t exactly something appreciated by state hospitals – but the medical practitioner with their own business has to have a touch of interior design pizzazz.
That doesn’t mean scatter cushions and throws, however. You’ll need to perfect that balance between clinical hygiene and great design.
Aim for a warm and welcoming waiting room, and couple that with a plain white consultation area. Not only will you be getting five star hygiene reports, but you’ll put customers firmly at ease.
Know your assistants
You know the nurse who spits on their hands before touching surgical utensils and insists on bringing their flea-bitten dog to work? Probably best not to hire them.
Always be certain your medical assistants know hygiene protocol in and out. And bring in a cleanliness expert at regular intervals to give your staff refresher courses.
Know the basics
The basics of hygiene are the little things that put a client’s mind at ease. And the main thing that people look out for, not least because of its high level of publicity, is hand washing.
Before you examine a patient, make a show of washing your hands and be sure to keep your practice well-stocked in antibacterial soap.
After all, healthy hygiene will lead to healthy profit. So make sure you keep those digits sparkling.
Kidal Delonix is a contributor to Mr. Hoffman's blog. The views and opinions are entirely his/her own and may not reflect Mr Hoffman's views.
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