Are you involved in healthcare cleaning in England? If so, big news! The National Standards of Healthcare Cleanliness 2025 have been released, replacing the 2021 Standards. This latest update brings a significant change – Ambulances and Ambulance Trust premises are now explicitly included!
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The National Standards of Healthcare Cleanliness 2025: What’s Changing?
The NHS has always prioritised cleanliness, and now the new Standards extend their scope to address the unique challenges of ambulance environments:
“Healthcare establishments must be able to demonstrate how and to what standard they are being cleaned. The NHS has rightly earned a high reputation for the cleanliness of its environments… This new version now encompasses the various challenges in ambulance facilities.” (Summary section, NHS England » National standards of healthcare cleanliness 2025).
For years, Hospital Trusts have been required to demonstrate their compliance through rigorous audit and rectification processes. Now, Ambulance Trusts must meet the same obligations – ensuring that every vehicle and facility maintains the highest standards of hygiene.
According to Andrew Wheeler, Micad Audit Product Owner, “The inclusion of Ambulance Trusts in the new Standards is a game-changer. It ensures that this branch of the NHS is subject to the same rigorous cleaning standards as hospitals.”
10 New Elements Added
To support these changes, ten new elements have been introduced, bringing the total from 50 to 60. Of these, eight (numbers 53-60) specifically focus on ambulance cleaning. Many of the existing 50 elements will also apply to ambulance stations and other related facilities. (PRN00904ii-app-2-elements-performance-parameters-and-cleaning-frequencies.docx).
Given the relentless demand on ambulance services, it might be tempting to rush cleaning procedures. However, thorough cleaning is non-negotiable—without it, patient care becomes significantly less safe.
How Can Ambulance Trusts Demonstrate Compliance?
Ambulance Trusts must prove their commitment to cleanliness through regular audits and rectification when necessary. To assist with this, NHS England has created an Implementation Workbook specifically for Ambulance Trusts, available here: NHS England » National standards of healthcare cleanliness 2025: implementation workbooks.
The workbook highlights the role of electronic audit tools in streamlining the compliance process:
“Electronic audit tools are available to capture the audit tools; companies have designed and developed systems and processes that will capture information that demonstrates compliance against the standard.” (Compliance Grid tab)
The core Standards document further emphasises the value of technology:
“Electronic audit systems are useful for highlighting trends and hot spots, as well as greater transparency and more effective sharing of data. … Information technology plays an important part in the audit process, documenting findings and analysing failures, trends and results.” NHS England » National standards of healthcare cleanliness 2025, sections 10.1 and 10.2).
The Role of Electronic Audit Tools
Many Hospital Trusts have already discovered that paper-based audits simply don’t cut it. While feasible in theory, manually producing detailed reports, identifying trends, and maintaining records is time-consuming and inefficient—often requiring dedicated staff just for admin.
The NHS workbook acknowledges that manual processes exist, but most Trusts find them too inefficient to be a viable long-term solution. This is why electronic audit tools have become essential.
Andrew Wheeler adds, “Digital audit tools are revolutionising how Trusts manage compliance. They provide real-time insights, reduce admin burden, and help to ensure that any issues are addressed promptly.”
Why NHS Trusts Choose Micad Audit
For years, a wide range of Trusts have chosen Micad Audit as their go-to compliance tool. Micad Audit provides full compliance with the National Standards, covering:
- All elements (including the new ambulance-specific elements)
- Risk categories and rectification times
- Optional star ratings for Ambulance Trusts (National Standards, section 8.8)
Micad Audit simplifies compliance by generating detailed customisable reports, from single-area audits to multi-audit trend analysis—all with a wide range of filters. If you need even more flexibility, data can be exported to Excel for deeper analysis.
Beyond Cleaning Audits: A Versatile Tool
Micad Audit isn’t just for cleaning compliance—its flexibility allows Trusts to conduct various types of audits, including:
- Efficacy audits (required by the National Standards)
- Catering audits
- Waste audits
- Vehicle checks (critical for Ambulance Trusts)
One of its standout features is the ability to mark elements as unscored, allowing issues to be flagged without affecting audit scores. This is needed for Efficacy audits and also helps engage staff teams who aren’t directly involved in the auditing process.
Andrew Wheeler notes, “Flexibility in audit tools is crucial. Micad Audit allows Trusts to adapt their auditing approach to multiple compliance needs beyond just cleaning, making it a powerful asset.”
Meet Micad Pro: A Complete Solution
Micad Audit will be part of the Micad Pro suite, a powerful platform that consolidates multiple facility management tools into one seamless system. Trusts can choose the features they need, making it easier than ever to stay compliant.
Ready to Future-Proof Your Auditing Process?
With Ambulance Trusts now required to meet the National Standards of Healthcare Cleanliness, having the right audit tool is critical. If you’re looking for an efficient, reliable, and proven solution, Micad Audit is here to help.
Discover how Micad Audit can streamline compliance for your Trust – get in touch today!
