Spread information not infections this World Hand Hygiene Day

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Spread information not infections this World Hand Hygiene Day

Staff at the Princess Alexandra Hospital are putting their hands up and committing to always practising proper hand hygiene to protect themselves, patients and the wider community.

World Hand Hygiene Day is an important reminder of the simple yet effective steps everyone can take to prevent the spread of infection.

Infection Control’s Clinical Nurse Consultant Majella Altmann said clean hands save lives.

“Hand hygiene is all about patient safety. World Hand Hygiene Day recognises the major role hand Hygiene plays in our healthcare system to stop the spread of germs. It is a basic component of infection prevention and control,” she said.

“We’re holding a stall in the PA Hospital’s foyer to engage staff, patients and the community, to share knowledge about hand hygiene.

“Within the hospital it’s about making sure we’re using the appropriate technique and performing the five moments of hand hygiene.

“We can all contribute to better patient outcomes and a safer healthcare environment by ensuring we don’t miss a moment of hand hygiene.

“For patients and visitors, good hand hygiene should be practiced both inside and outside the hospital because it helps stop the spread of germs.”

This year’s theme for World Hand Hygiene Day is ‘Why is sharing knowledge about hand hygiene still so important? Because it helps stop the spread of harmful germs in healthcare.’

Majella said she’s proud of how everyone scrubbed up for the annual awareness day, and is hopeful the message will sink in for staff and patients.