More hospital staff washing their hands

MORE hospital staff in the Lothians are washing their hands properly, according to new statistics.

In November, an audit of hand hygiene in hospitals across the country found NHS Lothian was the second-worst health board for hand washing, with just 87 per cent of staff following guidelines.

But the latest audit shows the compliance rate in Lothians hospitals has climbed back to 94 per cent, the same as last summer. The national average has also increased two per cent to 94 per cent.

Health secretary Nicola Sturgeon said: "Hand washing is one of the simplest yet most effective ways to tackle all types of infection – from C.diff and MRSA to flu and the common cold.

"While I congratulate NHS Scotland staff on the improvement we have seen in this latest audit, I believe there is still more that can be done and hope we continue to see high compliance rates in future audits."

She said hospital visitors could also play their part. "Simply washing their hands can help ensure they don't unwittingly spread bugs."