Scottish hospitals failing to meet hand hygiene target
Scottish NHS wards are not on track to meet hand hygiene standards
Friday, 18, Apr 2008 02:19
NHS hospitals in Scotland are failing to meet hand hygiene targets, according to an audit by Health Protection Scotland (HPS).
The Scottish government set a goal of 90 per cent for hygiene compliance levels and a campaign to raise awareness of hygiene importance was launched in January 2007.
Figures from the HPS show that trusts are not on track to meet the target, with a first audit showing just 68 per cent compliance and a second audit showing 79 per cent.
The overall audit result for hand hygiene compliance in Scotland during the third audit period was 87 per cent.
During the first audit, compliance ranged from 50 per cent to 94 per cent, rising to between 75 per cent and 97 per cent during the third audit.
Commenting on the figures, health secretary Nicola Sturgeon said staff had made "excellent progress" on improving hand hygiene but said this needs to be maintained to reach the 90 per cent target.
"Good hand hygiene is widely acknowledged as being one of the most important ways of preventing avoidable healthcare associated infections," she added.
"I want to applaud the efforts of all NHS staff in reaching this milestone."
Ms Sturgeon went on: "However, although this rate of progress is very encouraging, boards should not be complacent.
"It is not just about reaching the target of at least 90 per cent hand hygiene by November 2008, but also about sustaining and improving on this level of compliance year-on-year."