Cleaner hand torch tours Evelina London

The Infection Prevention and Control Team with the IPS torch

An Olympic-style torch, which is touring UK hospitals to highlight the importance of hand hygiene, came to Guys’ and St Thomas’ this week including Evelina London Children’s Hospital.

The Infection Prevention and Control Team toured wards and departments with goodies and their ultraviolet (UV) box which helps to educate staff and visitors of the importance of using a good technique to clean their hands. The UV box highlights any telltale ‘missed bits’ after cleaning your hands.

Shona Perkins, Lead Nurse for Infection Prevention and Control at Evelina London, said: “Good hand hygiene is absolutely essential for preventing the spread of infections in healthcare. This is particularly important in hospitals, where we often care for patients who are more vulnerable to infections and may have a weakened immune system. A weak immune system means you might be more likely to pick up bugs and infections.

“The torch and touring the wards is a great idea because it helps us highlight the importance of hand hygiene to staff, patients and visitors. All our clinical staff are required to have yearly Infection Prevention Training and this was a fun event to emphasise the hand hygiene message.”

The torch, which will tour other UK hospitals throughout the summer, belongs to the Infection Prevention Society, an independent charity which promotes expert infection prevention.