Hand hygiene

Hand washing is one of the most simple and effective ways of preventing the spread of infection.  Remember to clean your hands frequently throughout the day.

Examples of when to clean your hands

Patients

• On entering and before leaving the ward or department
• Before eating or feeding your baby
• After changing nappies
• After visiting the toilet or bathroom
• If you hands become visibly soiled

Visitors

• On entering and before leaving the ward or department
• After visiting the toilet or bathroom
• Before touching food items i.e. when helping patients with meals or feeding babies

Staff

• Before and after each patient contact
• After contact with the patients environment i.e. equipment
• Before an aseptic or invasive procedure
• After contact with blood or bodily fluids
• Following removal of protective clothing i.e. gloves
• Whenever the hands become soiled or contaminated i.e. after cleaning or after handling linen or waste
• Before and after eating, drinking or smoking

Hand hygiene compliance is monitored on a monthly basis in all in-patient clinical areas. Results are publicly displayed on the Infection Control & Housekeeping information boards in individual department areas.

Hand Hygiene Products

Soap and water

For most routine practices hand washing with soap and water is sufficient

Alcohol hand rub

Alcohol hand rub/gel is an alternative to soap and water and can be used in most instances to decontaminate hands. Alcohol had rub/gel is not recommended when:

• Hands are visibly soiled or dirty
• Patients are suffering with diarrhoea/and or vomiting
• There has been contact with bodily fluids
• There is an outbreak of diarrhoeal illness i.e. Norovirus or Clostridium difficile

Alcohol hand gel is available at the entrance/exits to all in-patient ward areas, wall mounted at handwash basins and at the point of care i.e. at the ends of patient beds or on communal equipment/trolleys i.e. BP machines.

This page was last modified on Thu Feb 10 2011