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Moorfields participates in the National Patient Safety Agency's 'cleanyourhands' campaign as all our staff take infections seriously and are committed to keeping you, our patients, as safe and healthy as possible.
What causes infection?
Infections are never caused by dirt. They can be caused by viruses, but are mostly caused by 'bugs' or germs called bacteria that occur naturally all around us. They also live on our skin, and in our mouths and noses. Most of them don't do us any harm, but when we are unwell or frail due to illness or after an operation, our bodies' natural defences are weaker, so more care is needed to protect us.
It's OK to ask!
We take hand hygiene seriously, but sometimes when we're really busy, we might not clean our hands as often as we should. If you're worried that we've forgotten, it's OK to remind us. We welcome your help in keeping you safe.
Clean hands
The easiest way to pass on germs is with our hands, so when our staff clean their hands before and after touching each patient, it helps stop the bugs spreading. There are two main ways to clean hands:
- Washing with soap and water - This removes germs and is best when hands are soiled. Soap and water should be used to clean hands if the patient is vomiting or has diarrhoea.
- Using alcohol handrub - these kill more than 99% of germs in around 30 seconds and dry naturally on the skin. And because we don't need to be near a sink to use them, they're also very convenient. The cleanyourhands campaign encourages our staff to use these rubs. We hope that seeing us use them will help you feel confident that you're in safe hands.
