Healthcare associated infections (HCAIs) can develop either as a direct result of healthcare interventions such as medical or surgical treatment, or from being in contact with a healthcare setting such as a hospital or GP surgery.
The term HCAI covers a wide range of infections. The most well-known are caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Clostridium difficile (C. difficile).
HCAIs pose a risk to patients, staff and visitors alike. They can incur significant costs and cause substantial consequences to those infected. As a result, infection prevention and control is a key priority for the NHS.
Infection prevention and control is fundamental in improving the safety and quality of care provided to patients. NHS England provides resources for healthcare providers and commissioners of health care that will help them to establish a health care associated infection reduction plan that reflects local and national priorities.
So what can we do here at Ashtead?
Infection prevention and control and Patient Safety is our main priority at Ashtead Hospital.
Practicing good, effective hand hygiene is one of the simplest and most cost effective ways to help reduce the spread of health care associated infections. The use of soap and water or alcohol gel regularly help to reduce the spread of bacteria which, in turn, means the spread of germs will also reduce the amount of antibiotics being used, which helps to decrease the percentage of antibiotic resistance.
Ashtead Hospital we will be celebrating World Hand Hygiene Day on Friday, 05 May 2017. Our infection control team will be promoting and practising effective hand hygiene, something our staff take pride in all year long.
We will be helping our patients and their relatives practice good hand hygiene, giving them the opportunity to see just how clean their hands are! We will also be demonstrating good hand washing techniques. So please do stop by if you want any advice or are interested in what our infection control nurse has to demonstrate.
For more information see http://www.who.int/gpsc/5may/en/
Essential hand washing:
* Wash hands before eating or handling food
* Was hands after visiting the toilet
* Wash hands after blowing your nose or coughing
* Wash hands after touching animals or animal waste
* Wash hands after handling rubbish
* Wash hands after changing nappies
* Wash hands before or after touching a sick person
* Wash hands before and after visiting a hospital ward.
Top Hand Hygiene Facts
- Faecal bacteria are present on 26% of hands in the UK, 14% of banknotes and 10% of credit cards according to a study by hygiene experts from Queen Mary University of London.
- Findings suggest 11% of the population’s hands are grossly contaminated and carry as many germs as a toilet bowl.
- A study at a UK service station with electronic recording devices revealed only 32% of men and 64% of women washed their hands after using the toilet.
- The average person’s hands carry at least 3000 different types of bacteria
Don’t spread germs! Wash your hands regularly and use the alcohol based hand rubs available throughout the hospital!