The team on Ward 22 at the Leicester General Hospital has been recognised for their work in keeping patients and colleagues safe from infection thanks to a special Quality Improvement (QI) project that helps teams improve the way they work across UHL.
Every few months, the ward saw a rise in outbreaks of COVID-19 cases. It was identified that this was due to the ward having an open plan design. This makes it harder to stop viruses from spreading.
By carefully reviewing the data collected, the team spotted an opportunity to improve how equipment was cleaned between patients – a key step in helping reduce the risk of future outbreaks.
Although the team could not change the design of the department, they did come up with other ways to stop the spread of infections, such as adding in more hand sanitising stations, using checklists to make sure cleaning was carried out correctly, and finding better ways to get everyone involved. These changes worked well, and in August 2025, when COVID-19 cases were rising in the community, the ward did not see a single new case.
Mital Lad, a therapist on the ward, said the whole team worked together to make the improvements. She said: “The project has been a whole-team effort, and thanks to our collective engagement, we’ve seen rapid and positive changes already.
“Our top priority has been ensuring safer patient care, especially for our older patients, who are particularly vulnerable to infections, as well as keeping our colleagues well.”
Now, as winter approaches, the Ward 22 team is continuing their work with their new ward sister to make sure these safety checks stay in place and keep everyone protected.
This project is part of myQI: your care – our campaign that shines a light on the everyday improvements our teams are making across UHL for the benefit of our patients.
The myQI campaign shares stories from our teams who have spotted opportunities to make things better and acted on them – bringing real benefits to patients, as well as the colleagues who care for them.