NHS takes hand washing campaign to the public to cut infection rates
Health workers in Hull and the East Riding are stepping up their campaign to cut infection rates in the community by manning stalls in two of the city’s main shopping centres on Saturday May 2 and Tuesday May 5 to encourage people to wash their hands properly.
In support of Global Hand Hygiene Day, members of the public at Princes Quay and then at the St Stephen’s Centre will be able to see for themselves just how clean their hands really are by using a lightbox, which shows up the germs left on their hands even after washing. There will also be soap giveaways, important health care information leaflets, and competitions to take part in.
The local NHS already has a good record of tackling healthcare-associated infections within hospitals, but last month it joined forces with local authorities, the Humber Mental Health Teaching Trust and the Hull and Goole Port Authority to launch “Give Soap a Chance”, a campaign to spread the word on the importance of hand washing within the wider community.
Research shows that up to half of men and a quarter of women fail to wash their hands after going to the toilet, even ‘though up to 10 billion bacteria are present between a person’s fingertip and elbow, with the number of germs doubling after using the bathroom.
Last year there were 84 confirmed cases of Norovirus in Hull and 79 in the East Riding. There were also 24 outbreaks of diarrhoea and vomiting in Hull, with 325 people laid low. Good hand hygiene is regarded as the single most cost-effective way of tackling infections spread by unclean hands. These include food poisoning and diarrhoea, viruses such as colds and flu, and more serious conditions such as MRSA.
Eileen Henderson, Assistant to Medical Director for Hull & East Yorkshire NHS Trust said: “We think people will be shocked at just how many germs can remain on their hands even after washing. It is not just about washing your hands regularly but about learning to wash them properly. This may sound very simple but it is amazing how many people do not do so, and yet something this simple can really cut down on infections.”
“While we’ve reduced our infection rates dramatically in recent years, we want to do even better and there’s one simple way everyone can help. We’re spreading the word to try to stop the spread of infection within the wider community. Help us all by washing your hands and giving soap a chance,“she said.
