Infection control

Advice for patients and visitors

To keep infection rates to a minimum, the Trust operates a zero-tolerance policy towards infection across all its services.

To keep everyone safe, we ask everyone who visits Trust services to play their part alongside us in infection prevention and control. We look after lots of vulnerable people each day so to keep you, your family, other patients, and our staff safe, we need your help to reduce the spread of infections by adhering to the following.

Keep hands clean

Viruses and bacteria can stay on surfaces for a long time. To protect yourself and your loved ones, please wash your hands with soap and water or use a hand-sanitiser as often as possible to keep your hands clean. You will find hand-washing facilities around the Trust and hand-sanitizers, where suitable, in some of our buildings.

If your hands are dirty, try not to touch your face (mouth, nose, eyes) as this is an easy way to spread bacteria and viruses.

If you are visiting someone who is being barrier-nursed, please wash your hands in the sink in the side room when entering and leaving their room.

Why should you wash your hands?

The most common way germs are spread is by them being carried on people’s hands. Hand-washing prevents any germs from outside the hospital being brought into the ward environment and being passed on to the patients or contaminating the clinical environment. Washing hands properly with soap and water can help protect not only patients, but you, your family, and others.

Wear a mask and other Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Where and when necessary (for example, for an isolation room visit, during outbreaks or flu season), our staff will offer you a facemask or other PPE to wear. This reduces the risk of cross infection to patients, visitors or staff, so please wear them to protect yourself and others while you are here.

Clean environment

Help us maintain a clean environment and hospital equipment. Kindly use the waste bin provided for all waste. Wash your hands after using tissues to catch coughs and sneezes. If you discover any cleanliness issues on our premises, please report it to the nearest reception. Infection control is everyone’s responsibility.

General advice for hospital visitors

Do not visit the hospital if:

• You feel unwell
• You have had a cough or a cold in the last 48 hours (two days)
• You have had diarrhoea and / or vomiting in the last 72 hours (three days)

When visiting please:

• Do not use patient toilets
• Do not sit on patients’ beds
• Do not share food with patients or sit at the patient's bedside whilst eating

Advice for patients

If you are a patient, or you are going to be a patient, and you have worries or concerns about any infection control issues, please speak to ward or clinic staff. If further support is necessary, they will be able contact the infection control team for you.