VICTORIA Hospital has made “significant improvements” after being reported to the Scottish Government twice in two years for poor standards.

The Kirkcaldy hospital was slammed after an unannounced visit in December 2014 left inspectors “extremely disappointed” with the standards of cleanliness, which included staff not washing their hands and patient trolley frames being contaminated by blood and bodily fluids.

When a follow-up visit found it was still falling short of standards, it was reported to the Scottish Government.

Worryingly, that wasn’t the first time NHS Fife had been pulled up for the acute hospital’s failings - a visit in May 2013 identified “significant risk” to patient safety.

However, an unannounced visit by Health Improvement Scotland from 17th to 19th February led to a much better report.

Jacqui Macrae, head of Quality of Care, said, “This inspection found evidence that NHS Fife have made significant improvements following our previous inspections.

“In particular, we found the completion of adults with incapacity documentation and the completion of assessments for patients on admission to hospital, had improved.

“Staff told us they felt supported and we saw evidence that the majority of wards had made changes to improve the environment for patients with dementia. However, we did identify areas where NHS Fife must improve the care provided to older people.

“For instance, the completion of fluid balance and food record charts was poor, and medical and nursing documentation was not always dated and timed.

"This inspection resulted in 10 areas for improvement and nine areas of good practice.

“NHS Fife must address the areas for improvement we have identified as a matter of priority.” Compared to previous reports, which found poor standards of cleanliness, the inspection said that the wards were “light, bright and fresh smelling” while most of the corridors were “clear and free from obstructions and clutter”.

Staff also felt like there were now more of them on the ward, allowing them to spend more time with patients.

There were still problems of “capacity and flow” caused by delayed discharges, which led to patient boarding – moving patients from one ward to another to meet the needs of the service and not the patient’s clinical needs.

However, unlike previous inspections, the report said this was being carried out in a “more co-ordinated manner” and was no longer putting patients at “significant risk”.

The Vic was judged on treating people with compassion, dignity and respect, screening and initial assessment, person-centred care planning, safe and effective care, and managing the return home and leadership and accountability.

The inspectors said the majority of interactions with patients were positive and caring and that staff were supportive and talked to patients in a respectful manner.

It also noted the “clear, strong leadership” from senior charge nurses and clinical nurse managers.

Health Improvement Scotland said it expects NHS Fife to address the issues raised, prioritising areas where improvement is required to meet a national standard.