NHS Highland: It’s in your hands this hand hygiene day
Healthcare staff and members of the public are being encouraged to help save lives and always clean their hands.
The message from NHS Highland comes on world hand hygiene day – tomorrow.
Hand hygiene is at the core of effective infection prevention and control and the infection prevention and control team based at Raigmore Hospital in Inverness are using the hand hygiene campaign to remind everyone how important it is and how we can improve our own behaviour.
Ann Chalmers, infection prevention and control nurse for NHS Highland, said: “This year the campaign is focusing on universal health coverage (UHC) which is about achieving better health and wellbeing for people at all ages.
“Hand hygiene is critical to this as it is a practical and evidence-based approach which has a clear impact on quality of care and patient safety across all levels.”
As well as awareness sessions, Raigmore’s infection prevention and control team will be using the time leading up to tomorrow to a run a small competition with wards and departments throughout the hospital where the wards are asked to design display boards that promote hand hygiene.
There will also be a corridor display available for staff and members of the public to view which will highlight the reasons behind the campaign.
Younger patients in the hospital will also be doing their part with a separate competition which will see them design their own posters highlighting the importance of hand hygiene.
Ms Chalmers added: “As part of this campaign we are asking for all healthcare workers to always follow the five key moments and use the 12-step technique to effectively clean your hands. This will prevent the transfer of organisms from one person to another or via equipment and the environment to ultimately prevent infection.
“We are also asking members of the public to help us to save lives and always clean your hands. Clean care for all is in your hands.”
