WIREDGOV

The hardest hitting and most comprehensive hand washing awareness campaign ever run in Scottish hospitals was launched today.

For the first time, the campaign targets all employees - not just clinical staff - recognising the importance of engaging staff such as porters and cleaners in the bid to stop the spread of bugs.

Another new feature will see posters promoting handwashing feature in shops and businesses near hospitals to ensure staff get the message about the importance of regular handwashing before, during and after their shifts.

While the £200,000 campaign is primarily aimed at hospital staff it will also reinforce the hand washing message for patients and visitors.

Materials will be strategically placed in hospitals to target people from the moment they arrive and throughout the day. The numerous locations to be used will include: above beds, in staff changing rooms, in surgical areas, in toilets and public areas.

Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said:

"Getting the message across about the importance of regular hand washing is crucial. It's one of the simplest - yet most effective - ways of tackling infections in hospital which is a top priority for this government.

"This campaign is, intentionally, both wide ranging and hard hitting. While previous campaigns have focused on doctors and nurses, this time we're targeting other staff as well - such as porters who work throughout hospitals. The very nature of their work - transporting patients from one area to another - means they must be scrupulous with their hand washing to ensure they're not also unintentionally transporting bugs.

"I know that hospital infections concern patients and their relatives throughout Scotland which is why we're determined to tackle them - this campaign is just part of a much wider package of measures.

"But there's simply no excuse for failing to follow proper hand hygiene procedures. That's why I recently raised the bar for NHS Boards and expect them to take a zero tolerance approach towards any staff who fail to comply with correct hand hygiene protocols."

Extensive research was undertaken with healthcare professionals - including nurses, doctors, healthcare assistants, domestics and porters - to ensure the campaign materials would be effective and strike the right tone.

The research found that the messages in this campaign were both positive and effective - highlighting the benefits to patients of regular hand washing.

The campaign launch follows a range of measures which have already been introduced to tackle Healthcare Associated Infections (HAIs), including:

• Establishing an independent inspectorate to conduct random and comprehensive inspections of Scottish acute hospitals
• Bi-monthly reporting of infection rates, at hospital level, providing unprecedented levels of transparency for the public and providing early warning of trouble spots
• A single web portal to give access to national and local information on MRSA and C.diff rates
• Pre-admission screening for MRSA currently being piloted - prior to national roll out this year
• 100 per cent single room provision in all new build hospitals
• Extra funding for prudent prescribing of antibiotics
• Zero tolerance on hand hygiene compliance
• Revamp of the Senior Charge Nurse role, with responsibility for ensuring ward cleanliness
• No more privatisation of cleaning contracts
• Independent audit of cleaning specification resulting in tougher cleaning standards
• Target to reduce all staphylococcus aureus infections (including MRSA) by at least 30 per cent by 2010.
• Target to reduce infections C.diff infections by at least 30 per cent by 2011 for over 65s
• Increasing funding provided to tackle HAI - up from 15 million pounds to 54 million pounds over three years
• Extra funding to NHS Boards to further enhance local HAI surveillance procedures
• Introduction of a national comprehensive HAI Action Plan which sits alongside the HAI Task Force Delivery Plan
• Introduction of a new staff uniform and dress code
• Development of public information on HAI

Related Information

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Health/NHS-Scotland/19529/2005