27 April 2026

All Mersey Care staff play a vital role in supporting World Hand Hygiene Day and reinforcing a culture of safety across our services. Small, consistent actions make a significant difference in protecting the people we care for and one another.

 

Lead by example

  • Perform hand hygiene at the right moments, every time, in line with the 5 Moments for Hand Hygiene
  • Follow Trust and IPC guidance on the appropriate use of alcohol hand rub and soap and water
  • Demonstrate good practice visibly in all care settings, including community and non‑clinical areas

 

Promote a positive safety culture

  • Encourage colleagues to maintain high standards and support each other to improve
  • Speak up and politely challenge poor practice when it is safe to do so
  • Thank and recognise good hand hygiene practice when you see it

 

Engage patients, carers, and visitors

  • Encourage patients and visitors to clean their hands on entry and exit
  • Reassure patients that it is acceptable to ask staff if they have cleaned their hands
  • Help make hand hygiene a shared responsibility

 

Take part in local activities

  • Engage with World Hand Hygiene Day events, displays, or audits taking place in your service
  • Share key messages during team huddles, supervision, and handovers
  • Display posters and materials provided by the Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) team

 

Reflect and recommit

  • Use World Hand Hygiene Day as an opportunity to reflect on personal practice
  • Identify any barriers to good hand hygiene and raise them with your manager or IPC team
  • Commit to maintaining high standards every day, not just on 5 May

 

Bare Below the Elbows (BBE) – Why It Matters in Healthcare

  • Improves hand hygiene effectiveness
    Being bare below the elbows allows hands and wrists to be cleaned thoroughly, reducing the risk of germs being missed.
  • Reduces the risk of cross‑contamination
    Long sleeves, watches, bracelets, and rings can harbour microorganisms and transfer them between patients, surfaces, and equipment.
  • Supports safer patient care
    BBE helps minimise the spread of healthcare‑associated infections, protecting patients, staff, and visitors.
  • Promotes visible professionalism and reassurance
    Patients can clearly see that staff are following good infection‑prevention practice.
  • Aligns with infection prevention policy and best practice
    BBE is a key component of standard IPC guidance and supports compliance with hand hygiene standards.

 

Did you know…..

🤲 Your hands are microbial taxis
The average hand can carry thousands of microorganisms, many picked up just from touching everyday surfaces like door handles, phones, and keyboards.=

📱 Mobile phones carry more germs than toilet seats
Phones are touched constantly and rarely cleaned – making hand hygiene even more important in healthcare and everyday life.

👀 We touch our faces a lot – without noticing
Most people touch their eyes, nose, or mouth many times per hour, giving germs an easy route into the body.

🌍 Hand hygiene saves lives worldwide
It’s one of the simplest and most cost‑effective public health interventions ever discovered.

🖐️ Thumbs are germ hotspots
Thumbs and fingertips are the most commonly missed areas when handwashing.

⏱️ Most people don’t wash long enough
The average handwash lasts under 10 seconds — half the recommended time.

🤢 Norovirus spreads easily via hands
It takes very few viral particles on hands to make someone unwell — hand hygiene is critical.

🎶 Singing helps
Humming “Happy Birthday” twice really does help people reach 20 seconds (and yes, IPC approves).

🔄 Hand hygiene interrupts the chain of infection
It blocks transmission at one of the easiest points: hands → patient → environment.

🧑‍⚕️ Healthcare workers touch a lot of surfaces
Bed rails, curtains, notes, keyboards, equipment — all potential germ transfer points without hand hygiene.

🧤 Gloves are not magical
Wearing gloves doesn’t replace hand hygiene — hands should still be cleaned before and after use.

📊 Small action, huge impact
Improved hand hygiene compliance can significantly reduce healthcare‑associated infections.

🏆 One of the best infections‑prevention tools ever
Hand hygiene consistently ranks as one of the most effective and least expensive IPC interventions.

IPC will be at the following sites on Tuesday, 5 May promoting world hand hygiene day – please come along and see us!

  • Curzon Road 10am to 12pm
  • Old Swan WIC 1.00pm to 3.00pm
  • Kirkby WIC 10am to 12pm
  • Indigo 10am to 12pm
  • Rowan View 1.00pm to 3.00pm
  • Clock View 10am to 12pm
  • Knowsley Resource Centre 10am to 12pm

By supporting the campaign, Mersey Care staff help protect some of the most vulnerable people in our communities and demonstrate our shared commitment to safe, compassionate care.

👐 Clean Hands Save Lives

Hand hygiene is a simple but powerful way we show compassion, respect, and accountability in the care we provide.

✅ Clean your hands at the right moments
✅ Lead by example
✅ Promote a culture of safety—for patients, carers, and colleagues

Hand hygiene reflects our Mersey Care values.
Every contact counts. Every time.

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