Helping to prevent infection with good hand hygiene
Chris Whieldon
Designer and manufacturer of portable handwash units for medical facilities, catering, motor vehicles, care homes and home care, the beauty industry and schools and nurseries.
NHS Trust encourages staff and patients to test their hand washing techniques
A recent roadshow by the North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust encouraged patients and staff alike to test the quality of their hand washing techniques in an infection prevention roadshow that called in at hospitals that included Stamford and Rutland, Hinchingbrooke and Peterborough City hospitals.
The initiative was timed to coincide with International Infection Prevention Week which took place recently, wrote Sophie Skyring in an article on the Peterborough Matters website.
The main stated aim of the initiative, says the report, was to lessen the instances of hospital-acquired infections (HAIs), which “make up 21 per cent of NHS England’s bed capacity because patients have to stay longer.”
“These infections cost ￡2.7 billion each year, cause 28,500 deaths, and lead to 80,000 days of healthcare worker absence.”
The effectiveness – or otherwise of people’s hand washing techniques was assessed with a Semmelweis machine, which rather than measuring how dirty hands are, it monitors how well a special UV gels is distributed around the hands.
IIPW 2024
The theme for this year’s International Infection Prevention Week was “Moving the Needle on Infection Prevention.” It acknowledged the crucial role that Infection Preventionists play in “keeping the public safe and healthy” in healthcare settings from the constant risk that HAIs present.
How a video instruction screen ensures a perfect hand wash – every time!