Far West LHD promoting hand hygiene for World Hand Hygiene Day
Far West LHD is joining NSW health workers across the state to strive to reduce the spread of healthcare associated infections by working toward excellent hand hygiene rates in NSW public hospitals.
To celebrate World Hand Hygiene Day (May 5 2019) the Broken Hill Health Service will have a display in the hospital foyer on Tuesday, May 7 2019 to highlight the importance of hand hygiene.
The display will highlight World Hand Hygiene Day theme of 'Clean Care for All - it's in your hands' and all visitors to the hospital, as well as staff, are encouraged to use the alcohol based hand rub that is located throughout the hospital and community health centre.
Clinical Excellence Commission Medical Director of Patient Safety Dr James Mackie said patients deserved safe care when they visited hospitals and hand hygiene was a fundamental part of this.
'This World Hand Hygiene Day, May 5, 2019, it's important to note NSW has hand hygiene rates above the national average, with NSW facilities at 86.6% compared with 85.4% nationally,' Dr Mackie said.
'Hand hygiene is a simple and highly effective way to ensure patient safety and we know improving the hand hygiene of health workers is the single most effective way to reduce the risk of healthcare associated infections.'
Far West LHD regularly submits data as part of the National Hand Hygiene Initiative to audit each hospitals commitment to hand hygiene. Correct hand hygiene involves 5 Moments for Hand Hygiene
They moments for hand hygiene are:
Before touching a patient
Before a procedure
After a procedure or body fluid exposure risk
After touching a patient
After touching a patient's surroundings
Audits will be conducted all this week throughout the facility to monitor staff adherence with the 5 Moments of Hand Hygiene.