Preventing infection in our hospitals is an important part of patient safety. Our patients are more vulnerable during their time in hospital and so we need to work harder to keep infection at bay. Patients who pick up an infection in hospital may take longer to recover and stay in hospital longer.
Infections can include:
- coronavirus
- norovirus (vomiting bug)
- MRSA
- C.difficile
- flu
- chickenpox
- gastroenterisis (diarrhoea and vomiting)
- scabies
- and more.
Everyone in our hospitals plays a part in preventing infection whether staff, patients or visitors.
Hand hygiene
The single most important way to reduce infections picked up in hospital is good hand hygiene by all.
Please use the hand sanitisers or soap and water when you enter the hospital.
See some handwashing tips on the NHS website.
Keeping you safe
There are many ways we keep patients and visitors safe whilst in our hospitals. Our commitment to you is that we will:
- wash our hands before and after direct contact with a patient or after an activity that will contaminate our hands
- be bare below the elbow if we are directly working with patients
- regularly deep clean equipment and the environment
- monitor the appropriate use of antibiotics
- train staff and volunteers in infection prevention
- screen patients for infection where appropriate
- follow national guidelines on infection prevention
- have in place a dedicated Infection Prevention and Control Team to support staff, manage any infection outbreaks and work closely with microbiology.
We ask that you:
- Clean your hands either with soap and water or the alcohol gel provided at the ward entrances, before and after visiting.
- Do not come to hospital if are feeling unwell.
- If you have had a cold, diarrhoea or vomiting please wait 48 hours after your symptoms have disappeared before visiting.
- Don’t sit on patient’s beds as your clothes may be contaminated.
- If you see any signs of spillages or dirt let a member of staff know.
- Ask staff if you have any questions about preventing infection.
- Wear a face wear mask in some of our areas if you are asked to.