Clean Care for All is the theme of this year’s World Health Organisation (WHO) Hand Hygiene Day which is being marked across the world on Sunday 5 May.

At UHB, the infection prevention and control team (IPC) will be out across all our hospitals marking the annual awareness-raising event throughout the week from Monday 29 April.

Correct hand hygiene at the right time saves lives by reducing the risk of transmission of infectious organisms to vulnerable patients, our family and friends - or even ourselves.

Gill Abbott, Lead IPC nurse IPC said: “We all know that good hand hygiene at the right time saves lives, that’s why we’re championing clean care for all, as it is in our hands as to limit the spread of infections.

“At a time when the power of our known antimicrobials is waning against bacteria that is growing resistant, it is more important than ever before that we not only provide clean care for our patients but demand clean care for all.”

Lead IPC nurse, Amy Basford, said: “The IPC team offer more than simply monitoring infection control standards across the Trust, we also inform and encourage all staff and leaders to take action and improve practice in their areas. We all need to ask ourselves and our teams: ‘is your ward or department up to WHO standards? And if it isn’t, we need to then ask ‘so what am I going to do to ensure clean care for all?’.”

Across the week, the IPC team will also be raising awareness of appropriate glove use to highlight skin health.

Launched in 2017 by the Royal College of Nursing, Glove Awareness Week aims to pinpoint those moments where gloves should and should not be used.

The campaign further highlights how staff across the Trust can better look after their skin to prevent or reduce the risk of spreading of infection.

Throughout the week colleagues from the IPC teams will be visiting all areas in all hospitals highlighting the clean care for all campaign and challenging inappropriate glove use, such as removing glove use for the preparation of IV medication – an initiative launched last year.

Approximately 1 in 5 nurses develop dermatitis on their hands which can often be debilitating, painful and increases the risk of infection where there is damaged and broken skin.

At UHB alone, over 40 million gloves are used each year – 40% of this use is potentially inappropriate. It is therefore crucial to carry out a risk assessment to decide whether, and which type of gloves, to wear.

Dr Mark Garvey, UHB’s Deputy Director of Infection Prevention and Control, said: “With the challenges colleagues across UHB and our patients face in the fight against infection, the IPC team and I will be talking to our colleagues about how to ensure we are providing that vital clean care at a time when the risks from resistant bacteria is a significant worry.

“Whether it is washing our hands at the right time, using the correct PPE or simply using the hand gels as we move around the hospital, we all have a role to play in providing the clean care our patient rely on.

“We’re also looking at wider innovative solutions by working with our commercial partners to trial electronically monitoring the use of hand gels and how that correlates with a potential reduction in infections.”

5 moments for hand hygiene

• Before touching a patient
• Before clean/aseptic procedures
• After body fluid exposure/risk
• After touching a patient
• After touching patient surroundings

Top tips for wearing gloves

Gloves are required:

• Whenever there is a risk of contact with a patient's blood, bodily fluids or secretions - including respiratory secretions
• When in contact with a patient who has an infection - or their environment, including soiled or infected linens

Gloves are not required:

• For the preparation of intravenous drugs - except cytotoxic and monoclonal antibodies
• When taking a patient’s BP, pulse or temperature (if they do not have an infection risk)
• If transporting a patient on their bed or in a wheelchair to other departments
• To write notes, answers telephones or walking around in a ward environment

Remember: gloves must always be changed between patients and hands should be washed with soap and water after the removal of gloves or other equipment such as masks or aprons.