29 April 2015
Handwashing is like a ‘Do it yourself’ vaccine. By washing your own hands you can stop the spread of infection wherever you go.
Tuesday 5 May is World Hand Hygiene Day and NHS Borders is supporting the World Health Organisation (WHO) ‘SAVE LIVES: Clean Your Hands’ global campaign to sustain hand hygiene improvement worldwide with its Healthcare staff by asking them to remember the FIVE key moments of handwashing.
Dr Tim Patterson, NHS Borders Interim Director of Public Health said: “This campaign has been designed to remind all healthcare workers of the importance of when to wash their hands to ensure safe, effective and person centered care. It also creates a great opportunity for us to remind members of the public that they too can help out by washing their hands and promote handwashing with young children to help avoid unnecessary spread of infection, in healthcare settings and at home.”
Sam Whiting, NHS Borders Infection Control Manager said: “On Tuesday 5 May, NHS Borders Infection Control Team will be hosting an information stand in the Dining Room, on the first floor of the Borders General Hospital between 11:30am and 2pm. This will give visitors, patients and staff a chance to speak to the team and learn more about how handwashing can save lives and why it continues to be such an important part of healthcare processes.”
This year the WHO campaign is asking you to show your commitment by taking your photo with their new promotional board and posting on social media using #safeHANDS and you can mention @WHO. The promotional board can be printed or downloaded device from http://www.who.int/gpsc/5may/en/.
Here is Margaret Stanners, NHS Staff Nurse and Maggie McDougall, Nursing Auxiliary taking part in this year's campaign.
