An investigation into hand decontamination

INTERVENTION: The study will involve clinical hospital staff and run concurrently on four surgical wards: an elective orthopaedic ward, an elderly trauma/orthopaedic ward, a male general surgical ward and a female general surgical ward. Surgical wards were chosen as they have been identified as high risk areas for infection in view of the infection susceptibility of patients with wounds and invasive devices, urinary catheters and intravenous infusions. Each ward would act as its own control and be randomly assigned to an intervention as follows: 1. Ward one intervention ‐ a comprehensive education package on the use of the existing alcohol hand rub. 2. Ward two intervention ‐ a comprehensive education package as above and the provision of personal alcohol hand rub dispensers (same product) (the normal available alcohol hand rub at the end of the bed, wall mounted etc will remain). 3. Ward three intervention ‐ the provision of personal alcohol hand rub dispensers. 4. Ward four ‐ no intervention. Alcohol hand rub (all presentations) will be monitored throughout the period study (12233 ks) to assess amount used by weighing at set intervals. A wash out period will be allowed at the beginning of the study to allow staff to get used to the fact that alcohol hand rub is being routinely weighed. In addition, an anonymous questionnaire will be issued to all participants before and after the interventions, including the ward where there is no intervention. The first questionnaire will address the issues of the participants' perceived compliance/product knowledge of alcohol usage at baseline. The second questionnaire will be issued following the interventions, to assess again the same issues. However, the second questionnaire will contain additional questions concerning the experience of using a personal dispenser. The likert scale will be used. All healthcare workers likely to be working on the wards for the duration of the study will be invited to participate. CONDITION: Hand decontamination ; Infections and Infestations ; Hand decontamination PRIMARY OUTCOME: To assess whether personal dispensers and/or education improve hand hygiene compliance by measuring alcohol hand rub usage and evaluating the pre‐ and post‐ intervention questionnaires. SECONDARY OUTCOME: Not provided at time of registration INCLUSION CRITERIA: 1. All healthcare workers likely to be working on the ward for the duration of the study will be invited to participate. This will include members of staff such as nurses, medical staff (consultant staff junior doctors) healthcare assistants, ancillary staff eg physiotherapists, occupational therapists. The medical staff participating in the study will either be working as part of the surgical team or the orthopaedic team on the relevant wards, they may also visit patients on other wards but this is likely to be roughly equal for each group participating. 2. Each potential participant will be identified by the ward managers and letter from the researcher inviting them to participate in the study.