Hospitals across Lincolnshire are raising awareness of the importance of fighting infection through hand hygiene during October.
The winter months often bring with them a risk of infections such as flu and norovirus. The infection prevention and control teams at United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust (ULHT) are educating members of the public and staff about why hand hygiene is important in the fight against healthcare associated infections.
Displays have been set up in public areas and the infection prevention and control teams are touring the wards and corridors to help spread the message across the county.
Wendy Creasey, Nurse Specialist in Infection Prevention and Control at ULHT said: “Good hand hygiene stops the spread of infections and helps to save lives. Our organisation always takes healthcare associated infection seriously and has been successful in making an impact on rates of infections.
“One of the most effective methods of preventing cross infection is the practice of good hand hygiene, not only in the hospital environment but also in the community.
“It is hoped that this initiative, together with other projects such as staff training, careful use of antibiotics and environmental cleanliness, will assist in fighting infection across the Trust.
“The Trust works closely with our colleagues in public health and the community to ensure patients admitted with infections do not pass these onto others whilst they receive the best quality care from ULHT staff.”
How to practice good hand hygiene
- Ensure you regularly use alcohol hand rub available on all wards to clean your hands, especially before touching patients.
- Wash your hands with soap and water when anyone has diarrhoea, to prevent the spread of infections such as norovirus which can be a problem during the winter months.
- If you have symptoms such as diarrhoea and vomiting do not visit the hospitals until you have been clear of these symptoms for at least 48 hours.