You might expect the doctors at Hinchingbrooke to be wearing white coats, and if they are male to wear a tie. However, this is not the most hygienic way to work. All doctors at Hinchingbrooke now follow what is known as "Bare Below the Elbow" advice. This means that they will wear either short sleeved shirts, or will roll up their sleeves. They will not wear watches or jewellery which may interfere with washing their hands and forearms and they will either not wear ties, or tuck their ties in, so they do not touch patients.
The inpatient wards at the front of our hospital have undergone major refurbishment works, completed in 2009. Replacing the traditional open bay ward layout, the new wards have more side rooms, fewer beds per bay and each bay has its own ensuite facilities. Hinchingbrooke is also the first hospital in the UK to be using innovative sliding doors on each bay. These glass doors have a hands-free mechanism and help to effectively "seal-off" a bay, making them not only useful in infection control, but also providing more privacy and a quieter environment for our patients.
One of the single most important measures in beating HCAIs is regular and effective handwashing, especially using soap and water. That's why we have increased the numbers of sinks throughout the hospital. You will also find alcohol gel rub dispensers throughout wards and patient areas.
You may have heard of Clostridium difficile, which is a bacteria that causes severe diarrhoea. An infection with C Diff is usually caused by taking antibiotics, which kill the normal bacteria in the gut and allow C Diff to take over. Patients who are already poorly, and therefore need antibiotics, have a compromised immune system and can find it difficult to fight off and recover from a C Diff infection. That is why we take a two-pronged approach to preventing these cases.
C Diff is a hardy bacteria, which spreads through spores. These spores are very difficult to clean, needing bleach to kill them. Therefore the first approach to tackling C Diff infections is regular cleaning of affected areas. Patients and their visitors can also play an important role by keeping the bedside areas clean and tidy, for example by throwing away old magazines or newspapers.
The second approach is to try to limit the prescribing of antibiotics, in order to reduce the susceptibility of our patients to the infection. Of course, this is not always possible in cases where the drugs are needed. We are in the process of recruiting a dedicated antibiotic pharmacist to ensure that antibiotic use is strictly controlled and that those who need them are given the right drugs, in the right doses.
Hinchingbrooke has a dedicated Isolation ward where patients with known or suspected infections are nursed to prevent the spread of infection to other patients. The single rooms found on the main hospital wards can also sometimes be used for this purpose.
In some circumstances we may need to take the decision to restrict or even stop visiting to our wards, for example to protect our patients when there are widespread cases of an infectious disease in the community. When such a decision is made, the named contact of an inpatient should be informed by telephone by a member of the ward staff.
There are restrictions on visiting at Hinchingbrooke. We ask that each patient has no more than two visitors at any one time and that no children under the age of 12 visit wards. We also insist that visitors do not sit on patient beds or eat or drink anything in the ward area.
Please do not visit the hospital if you have had any symptoms of diarrhoea or vomiting in the previous 48 hours. Visitors should wash their hands on entering and leaving the ward.
Last modified 16/04/09 16:09:57
Hinchingbrooke Hospital
Hinchingbrooke Park, Huntingdon
Cambs PE29 6NT
Hinchingbrooke Direct:
01480 416416
