Lothian staff clean up in challenge to hit hand washing target

Published on Friday 26 December 2008 09:10

STAFF in Lothian hospitals are exceeding hand washing targets, health chiefs said today.

Audits carried out in November show that 92 per cent of staff across NHS Lothian are meeting strict hand hygiene targets.

A national "zero-tolerance" campaign is to be adopted in January to combat the spread of superbugs such as MRSA, which could see doctors and nurses who regularly flout hygiene rules facing disciplinary action.

Fiona Cameron, head of infection control at NHS Lothian, said: "NHS Lothian follows national guidelines on hand hygiene audits and we have complied with and exceeded those required to be completed as part of the national hand hygiene campaign.

"In addition, we carry out local hand hygiene audits on a monthly basis across all sites.

"Our dedicated hand hygiene co-ordinator is in the process of finalising a systematic review of all hospitals."

Ministers have set a 90 per cent target for hand washing, to be met by February, but NHS Lothian has already exceeded that figure.

Ms Cameron continued: "NHS Lothian is 92 per cent compliant in hand hygiene audits undertaken in November and has consistently improved throughout the campaign."