Dorset County Hospital moves to reassure public over hand gel (From Dorset Echo)

Dorset County Hospital moves to reassure public over hand gel

11:00am Thursday 2nd July 2009

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HOSPITAL bosses have moved to reassure the public over hygiene standards following reports that people had been drinking alcoholic hand gel.

The Echo reported on Tuesday that the hospital had removed dispensers amid fears that some people were drinking the anti- bacterial gel.

However, the hospital’s Director of Nursing and Infection Prevention and Control Alison Tong said that no final decision had yet been made to remove the gel completely from entrances.

She said stand-alone dispensers had been replaced with wall dispensers.

She said: “Following the story regarding hand gel at Dorset County Hospital we would like to make it very clear that we currently have no plans to remove the hand gel dispensers from the main entrances of the hospital.

“We have discussed the issue of hand gel at main entrances as the latest clinical evidence shows that washing hands at the point of care is the most effective way of preventing the spread of infection.

“We do encourage visitors to gel or wash their hands at the entrances to wards or at the patient’s bedside – but no decision has been made to remove the gel from main entrances.

“We would like to reassure members of the public that we take infection prevention and control extremely seriously.

“If we were to remove the gel from the main entrances, we would of course consult with patients and the public first through our Council of Governors.”

However, a governor of Dorset County Hospital Foundation Trust has vowed to fight to retain hand gel dispensers at hospital entrances.

Derek Julian said that any proposals to axe the dispensers from the seven main entrances at the Dorchester would be ‘totally wrong’.

And Mr Julian claims that the real reason behind plans to remove the gel isn’t to stop people from drinking its 70 per cent alcohol content – but to stop patients seeing staff not using it.

Mr Julian said: “Staff think they shouldn’t use it providing they use the gel at the bedhead.

“The hospital is saying that the point of contact with the patient is the most important time to use it.

“These are patients’ lives we’re talking about here.”

Mr Julian said he has spent time at the entrances to the hospital and has seen many people go in without using the gel.

Weymouth resident Mr Julian is urging people to fight for the right to keep alcoholic hand gels at entrances to the hospital.

He is calling for the 7,000 members of the foundation trust to email foundation governors and hospital chiefs and ask for the gel to stay at the entrances.

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