Lothian health workers are among country’s cleanest

Published on 02/02/2013 12:00

THE hands of health workers in Lothian are among the country’s cleanest, new figures have revealed.

Health Protection Scotland’s bi-monthly hand hygiene audit has shown a 99 per cent compliance rate with regulations among NHS Lothian staff, compared to 96 per cent nationally.

Experts believe that soap and water are the most important tools in combating 
hospital infections and the message is given to the region’s NHS workers at their induction and as part of ongoing training programmes.

Fiona Cameron, NHS Lothian’s head of infection prevention and control, said: “We are very pleased with the most recent figures, however it is an ongoing process and we must not become complacent as this is a very basic yet important aspect of healthcare.”