You've got to hand it to them (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

You've got to hand it to them

Staff nurse Melissa Crook and Jean Parsons link nurse in Infection Control (17720/11)MRSA and hospital infections have been hitting the headlines with the Royal United Hospital in Bath featuring in a Channel 4 undercover documentary.

Reporter Gareth Moorhouse met RUH senior infection control nurse Tracey Halladay to find out how the hospital is targeting the spread of infections...

STAFF at the RUH in Bath are giving Hospital Acquired Infections (HAIs) the full treatment in a bid to restore public confidence.

The hospital has introduced a raft of measures to combat the spread of infection following the discovery of 30 cases of the deadly MRSA virus on the wards this year.

Senior infection control nurse Tracey Halladay is one of five nurses on the Infection Control Team, which also includes a doctor and a performance director.

The team meets weekly to discuss issues relating to infection and highlight any problem areas, future projects and staff training requirements.

Ms Halladay said: "It gives us a chance to keep on top of everything that's going on in the hospital.

"We have an infection control database so we can monitor any outbreaks and keep an electronic record.

"The NHS wants all hospitals to reduce MRSA rates by 60 per cent by March 2008, and we are now well on the way to achieving that target."

Perhaps the most striking method of infection control at the hospital is the Glow Box, an ultraviolet machine that highlights dirt on hands.

Before washing, staff apply a glittering gel to their hands. The hands are then placed under the ultraviolet light and the parts that glow need to be washed again.

Ms Halladay said: "The hospital has two Glow Boxes. One of these is a permanent fixture and the other is a roving box used on the wards to test whether staff have washed thoroughly.

"We see ourselves as champions of infection control and the message to our patients is simple if we can do it, so can you."

On walls throughout the hospital, a poster campaign highlighting the dangers of infections is a constant reminder to staff.

"The idea is to keep people on their toes because if you leave the same poster up for too long they will forget about it." Ms Halladay said. We want people to be constantly thinking about hygiene."

On the wall of the entrance to the Phillip Yeoman Ward is a Spirigel dispenser and a poster with a step-by-step guide to the correct hand-washing procedure.

"It's really important when you apply the gel to wash right between the fingers and under the nails," Ms Halladay said.

The Spirigel contains alcohol, which is a proven decontaminant, and an emollient which moisturises the skin.

A dispenser sits at every patient's bedside in the hospital, alongside a poster reminding visitors not to sit on the beds as it can spread infection.

The message appears to be getting through. Marlene Turner, 60, who is recovering on the Yeoman Ward after an operation, now uses the gel daily.

Mrs Turner, from Chippenham, said: "The nurses explained the importance of hand hygiene and now all my friends use the gel when they visit."

Indeed the RUH is now registered as a Clean Your Hands partner hospital.

In February staff will take part in the National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) 'Clean Your Hands Day' to further boost public confidence.

Next week the RUH will hold it's fifth annual Infection Control Week, in which staff are monitored on their hand hygiene and the standard of their work clothes.

There is no excuse for staff not to follow the new procedures after the hospital created a new intranet system, with information about infection control measures.

This facility will soon be available to the general public through the hospital's website.

Ms Halladay said a joint effort from staff and patients was required to reduce the risk of infections returning to the wards.

"The prevention of HAIs is not just down to hospital staff, everyone has to play their part," she said. "We are here to reduce the risk to patients but people must remember, we can never stop all infections from taking place."

Did you know?

100,000 patients develop a Hospital Acquired Infection (HAI) every year and up to 5,000 die as a result.

A patient with a HAI is about seven times more likely to die than an uninfected patient.

A patient with a HAI spends 2.5 times longer in hospital than if they had not contracted the infection.

One in 10 patients pick up an infection during their stay in hospital.

A patient with a HAI costs on average £3,000 more to treat than an uninfected patient.

HAIs cost the NHS £1bn a year.