Clean your hands

27 June 2005

Staff, patients and visitors are being reminded to clean their hands in July as part of a new campaign at the hospital.

Staff, patients and visitors are being reminded to clean their hands in July as part of a new campaign at the hospital.

The campaign Clean Your Hands has been launched by the National Patient Safety Agency and NHS Trusts across the UK are taking part.

Chief Executive, Heather Lawrence said:“Many aspects of the campaign are things that we are already doing such as our successful Hand Hygiene Awareness week but there are some new and important elements.”

More than 500 alcohol gels are now being placed by bedsides helping staff, patients and visitors to clean their hands.

From February to April 3 types of gel were piloted on 10 wards and staff were asked to pick the gel they prefered. Some staff will also been given personal portable bottles of alcohol gel.

Heather added: “We will also be displaying more posters and some include photographs of our own staff who are giving their support to the campaign by being a champion.

“One very important aspect of the campaign is involving patients in improving hand hygiene. Information leaflets will be given to patients on wards encouraging them to ask their nurse or doctor to wash their hands.”

The campaign has been piloted on two wards at six different NHS Trusts across the UK. The pilot showed that staff went from cleaning their hands 28 per cent of the time to 76 per cent of the time.

Heather added: ”The results of the pilot show that awareness programmes like this do work and we hope that staff, patients and visitors will work together to help us combat hospital infections.”

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George Vasilopoulos