Heartbeat: Stay well this winter – follow the 5 moments for hand hygiene

February 5, 2019

Winter doesn’t just bring with it cold weather and dark nights, it’s also a time when some of the most prevalent illnesses and ailments return to hospitals around the country and it’s our job to not only protect ourselves, but also our patients.

Although we achieved herd immunity (80 per cent of colleagues vaccinated against flu), we still need to take precautions to limit the spread of any infections. One of the best ways to protect both yourself and our patients is by following the basic principles of hand hygiene.

Whilst many people think that a quick spray of alcohol hand gel is sufficient to sanitise your hands as you go on or off the wards – these are designed to be used in addition to traditional handwashing with soap and water.

This is key to stopping the spread of infections, especially during winter.

The ’5 Moments for Hand Hygiene’ is a World Health Organisation (WHO) initiative encouraging everyone who provides care to consider the risk of transmission of infection from health care workers’ hands.

You should wash your hands in the 5 moments below:

1. Before touching a patient
2. Before clean/aseptic procedures
3. After body fluid exposure/risk
4. After touching a patient
5. After touching patient surroundings

For more information on infection prevention and control, contact the team on ext. 5900.