Visitors who ignore 'wash your hands' signs at city hospitals are thwarting efforts against deadly superbugs.
Visitors who ignore 'wash your hands' signs at city hospitals are thwarting efforts against deadly superbugs. Hospital bosses are now pleading with patients' friends and loved ones to remember to wash their hands when visiting - or risk spreading deadly infections to vulnerable patients. The warning comes as new figures published today show hospital bosses in Nottingham are slowly winning their war on bugs like MRSA and clostridium difficle. But their hard work is being sabotaged by visitors to the Queen's Medical Centre and City Hospital who ignore posters. Hand washing with alcohol gel kills bugs like MRSA. However, the hardy spores of the diarrhoea-causing C Diff bug are not affected - and those around patients with this infection should use soap and water. A new audit system has been brought in by bosses at Nottingham University Hospitals - which runs the two sites - to gauge how many people are washing their hands. The results are displayed on boards in each ward, with the percentage of nurses, doctors and visitors who follow the hand-washing advice displayed.
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