News / Wash your hands
A PUBLIC information stand on the importance of hand hygiene will be displayed at the Gilbert Bain Hospital for the next seven days.
NHS Shetland is seeking to raise awareness ahead of the World Health Organisation’s global “hand hygiene day” on 5 May.
Infection control nurse Tina Bokor-Ingram is organising the activity to ensure people know “how and when” to wash their hands – one of the simplest and most effective ways of preventing hospital-acquired infections.
The Scottish Government has been seeking to highlight the importance of hand hygiene since 2007 and the Gilbert Bain has introduced educational posters, alcohol gel and improved hand washing facilities during that time.
Bokor-Ingram said: “Infection control is a top priority for NHS Shetland and good hand hygiene is one of the most effective things we can all do to help prevent the spread of infections in hospitals and in the community.
“Hand hygiene amongst staff has improved considerably and this, along with a range of other actions, means we continue to have a low rate of infections in our hospitals. However we cannot be complacent and must continue to maintain and further improve all our infection control activities.”
You can learn more about the hand hygiene campaign at www.washyourhandsofthem.com and about the WHO’s global hand hygiene day at www.who.int/gpsc/en/
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