Focused on hand hygiene rates

Hand Hygiene Australia recently raised the benchmark rate for hand hygiene compliance across hospitals to 80 per cent.

The good news? WSLHD is already above the benchmark, currently recording hand hygiene rates of 84.6 per cent.

Westmead Hospital Infection Prevention & Control clinical nurse manager Kathy Dempsey said staff remained committed to maintaining good hand hygiene.

“A comprehensive, sustainable hand hygiene training program exists across the LHD and weekly audits are conducted, reported and reviewed,” she said.

“The reason we have such good statistics is because our staff are committed to developing local strategies for hand hygiene; we have also introduced a number of education programs and policies to improve hand-hygiene practices by staff and visitors.

“Hand hygiene is important to help maintain the health of patients, staff and visitors and reduce the risk of infection.”