Our Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) team has launched new digital fob watches for all patient-facing clinical staff, reinforcing our commitment to high standards of hygiene.
The rollout is underway across all sites, reinforcing other key initiatives such as the introduction of our IPC Champions. Hand hygiene audits conducted by our IPC Champions found that staff wearing wristwatches was a major part of non-compliance in our 'bare below the elbow' policy.
This policy is vital in preventing the spread of infections, not just within our healthcare settings, but in the wider community. Infections can spread quickly between patients, staff, and visitors, so maintaining high IPC standards directly improves patient safety and supports better community health.
Zoe Hunt, Clinical Practice Development Lead and IPC Champion, who led the initiative, said: “Making sure our staff can work safely while delivering excellent patient care is at the heart of this initiative. These fob watches are practical, easy to clean, and fully support our 'bare below the elbow' policy. By improving compliance, we’re reducing the risk of infection for patients and staff, which ultimately benefits the wider community. It’s great to see how positively the teams have embraced them.”
The fob watches are just one part of DHU’s wider IPC efforts. Our IPC Champions, alongside their regular roles, carry out audits and inspections to keep standards high and ensure IPC messages stay on track. These steps are essential in protecting vulnerable patients and preventing avoidable infections from spreading beyond our sites.
Thank you to everyone involved in supporting these improvements. By working together, we’re making a real difference.
Pictured: Sarah Smith, Andy Newsome, and HCA Alison Thring with their new fob watches.