In support of the World Heath Organisation’s Hand Hygiene Day, QEHB’s infection prevention and control team took to the wards as part of their hand hygiene road show. 

Clean hands are central to providing high quality patient care, and the IPC team are dedicated to providing specialist guidance and support, to ensure that the highest levels of hygiene are maintained, with patient safety at the forefront of everything they do.

The team visited all wards across QEHB and QEH including outpatients and theatres engaging with a range of staff members during the beginning of May 2015.

The aim of the road show was to remind staff of key points in maintaining high levels of hand hygiene, dispelling common myths and reiterating the important role staff play in preventing infections.  A representative from B-Braun Medical Ltd. also supported the team during their road show supporting their mission to spread good hygiene practice.

Shirley Bird, Infection Prevention and Control Specialist Nurse said ‘The team engaged with all groups of staff across the Trust. The hand hygiene road show was a success and puts us one step further in stamping out infections.’

What can I do to help?

Staff

The ‘Five Moments for Hand Hygiene’ approach defines the key moments when healthcare staff should perform hand hygiene.

Introduced by the World Heath Organisation (WHO), these five opportunities can occur in any setting.

Staff are recommended to wash their hands;

1. Before touching a patient
2. Before clean/aseptic procedures
3. After body fluid exposure/risk
4. After touching a patient
5. After touching patient surrounding

Effective hand hygiene is the responsibility of all healthcare staff. Remember clean hands save lives!

Patients and visitors

When patients and relatives visit the hospital they too can play a part in preventing the spread of certain infections by washing their hands on arrival to wards and departments.

Staff are key in encouraging and helping patients to wash their hands before meals times and after toileting. Alcohol gels are available to visitors at ward entrances and there are numerous sink stations to be used for hand washing.

If you are a visitor or patient at QEHB please do not be offended if you are asked to cleanse your hands. Staff are acting in your best interests to ensure that the hospital remains infection free and that we stand by the Trust’s vision of ‘delivering the best in care’.

The infection prevention and control team would like to thank all staff that visited the hand hygiene road show. Together, we can beat hospital infections!

Congratulations to the following hand hygiene quiz raffle winners! You have won £10 worth of Marks and Spencer vouchers;

• Price (ODP, main theatres, QEHB)
• Siphephile Ndlovu (Ward 726, QEHB)
• Baskaran Subramonian (West 1, QEH)
• Paul Parry (Young Persons Unit)
• Jo Mason (Ward 624, QEHB)

A member of the IPC team will deliver vouchers to the prize winners. Staff should contact Shanel Ellis via ext. 13785