Hospital staff carry the torch for good hand hygiene

10th December 2016

Staff at Blandford Community Hospital took part in a national relay to help raise awareness of hand hygiene and its importance in healthcare settings.

A national initiative run by the Infection Prevention Society (IPS) saw the transfer of a torch baton around the UK to spread the message.

The torch visited various healthcare trusts across the south, providing an eye-catching reminder of the role clean hands play in preventing infection and keeping patients safe.

Dorset HealthCare – which runs the county’s community hospitals – sent Senior Infection Prevention and Control Nurse Lynne Avrell and Infection Prevention Facilitator Claire Best to Blandford, where they used the torch’s arrival as part of their own awareness day.

Staff were able to pose for photos with the torch, and use a special ‘light box’, which uses ultraviolet light to show how good someone’s hand washing technique really is.

Lynne said: “Ensuring everyone cleans their hands well and at the right time is the simplest way of preventing the spread of infection. Taking part in the torch tour was a great way to encourage good practice.”

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