Hand Hygiene

Your 5 moments for hand hygiene

The most important way of preventing the spread of healthcare associated infection is by good hand hygiene. Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust expects all staff entering a clinical area to use the alcohol gel on entering and leaving the ward, and clean their hands before and after every patient contact.
 
To decontaminate hands properly Staff are required to be “bare below the elbows”. This means no jewellery, false nails or nail polish. ALL staff entering a ward or patient area are expected to comply.

Alcohol hand gel is to be used for decontaminating hands when visibly clean. Handwashing with soap and water is required when hands are visibly soiled, after removal of gloves, and in certain other circumstances when alcohol gel is ineffective.

Patients and Visitors play an important role in supporting us to prevent the spread of infection. If you are a patient or visitor please wash your hands, particularly after visiting the toilet, and also use the alcohol gel appropriately. If you think a member of staff needs to wash their hands, it’s OK to ask them to do so.

It is important that all staff, patients and visitors practice good hand hygiene to prevent the spread of infection in hospital.

 

The World Health Organisation poster "Your 5 moments for hand hygiene" reproduced with their kind permission.

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