Patients, visitors and staff across Hywel Dda Health Board are being reminded: Clean your hands!

The World Health Organisation’s SAVE LIVES: Clean Your Hands day on 5 May, 2013 is part of a major global effort to support healthcare workers to improve hand hygiene in healthcare.
Sharon Evans, Lead Infection Prevention and Control Nurse for Hywel Dda Health Board, “The most common way germs are spread is by people's hands and these germs can cause illnesses such as colds, flu and stomach bugs.
“Most healthcare associated infections are preventable through good hand hygiene – cleaning hands at the right times and in the right way.
“Proper hand washing with soap and warm water is the single most important thing you can do to help reduce the spread of infections and help protect you, your family and those around you.
“Hand hygiene is not only important for healthcare staff but also for patients and visitors.
“When visiting a friend or relative in hospital or any environment where healthcare is provided, it is important to ensure that you clean your hands by cleaning them with both soap and water and alcohol gel in order to help prevent the spread of infection.”
As part of the events taking place for the day Coleg Sir Gar will be at Glangwili Hospital on April 30 and Prince Philip Hospital on May 1 offering hand treatments to staff.
Shan Moses, Infection Prevention and Control Co-ordinator, said: “Looking after your hands is all part of hand hygiene protecting the skin from drying and cracking is important, as it may harbour microorganisms and broken areas can become contaminated.
“Research has shown that nails can harbour potentially harmful bacteria. Caring for nails helps prevent the harbouring of microorganisms, which could then be transferred to those who are receiving care.”
Stands with information on hand washing will also be at Withybush Hospital and Bronglais Hospitals as part of the activity.
Handwashing guidelines:

• Rub palm to palm 
• Rub back of each hand with palm of other hand and interlock your fingers 
• Rub palm to palm again with fingers interlocking 
• Grip your hand with the other finger to finger and rub 
• Rub each thumb using the opposite hand 
• Rub circles with your tips of fingers in opposite palm 
• Make sure you wash your wrists. too

For more information go to www.npsa.nhs.uk/cleanyourhands