HEALTHCARE & HOSPITAL FACILITIES


INTEGRATING SKIN CARE INTO HEALTHCARE


To prevent the spread of infections in hospitals and healthcare


institutions, hand hygiene is crucial. Paul Jakeway, Marketing Director at Deb, explains why FMs should provide their institutions with a skin care programme that resolves around three key steps: cleansing, sanitising, and restoring.


When it comes to facilities management in hospitals and healthcare environments, the provision of hand hygiene opportunities is crucial. Since 80% of all infections are spread by hands, hand washing and hand sanitising are widely considered the most important methods of controlling infections.


The problem is serious: it is estimated that Healthcare Associated Infections (HCAIs) are the direct cause of 5,000 deaths and a contributing cause of 15,000 deaths in the UK.


In light of this, it is hardly surprising that the provision and maintenance of strategically placed hand hygiene opportunities is a clear priority for most hospitals and healthcare institutions. If they add a third element – restorative creams – facility managers can provide a proven 3-Step skin care programme that includes cleansing, sanitising, and restoring.


STEP 1: CLEANSING Hand washing with soap continues to


be the most fundamental step in any healthcare skin care programme: apart from removing visible soiling from hands, the physical action of a good handwashing technique removes high levels of bacteria and viruses that are also present on the skin.


For non-surgical procedures applying a mild soap followed by a good handwashing technique will remove potentially harmful transient micro-organisms.


44 | TOMORROW’S FM


formulated to moisturise, nourish and condition the skin, improving its strength and preventing it from becoming dry or damaged. In hospitals and healthcare institutions, they should be used regularly.


THE RIGHT EQUIPMENT AND


STEP 2: SANITISING Hand sanitising is highly effective in


reducing bacterial counts on visibly- clean hands when access to soap and running water is inconvenient. In contrast to soap and water, an alcohol-based hand sanitiser kills a high proportion of the bacteria present on the hands, rather than to physically remove them.


Both hand washing and hand sanitising should be based on the World Health Organisation (WHO) Five Moments for Hand Hygiene guideline, which identifies these key moments for a hand hygiene event: before patient contact; after patient contact; before an aseptic task; after exposure to body fluids; and after touching patient’s surroundings.


STEP 3: RESTORING For a skin care programme to be


complete, it should include a third element. Skin that is exposed to regular hand washing during the day needs to be replenished regularly. Restorative creams have been


PROPER EDUCATION For a skin care programme to work, it is important that all three types of products – soap,


sanitisers, and restorative creams – are available from easy-to-use dispensers. Modern equipment can be fully customised to suit an institution’s specific needs, while technology such as BioCote reduces bacteria, mould and fungi on the surface of the equipment – further increasing safety.


The provision of the right products should go hand-in-hand with proper staff education: for a skin care programme to be effective, it is crucial for staff to be aware of the importance of proper skin care in the workplace, and trained in using the right techniques. This should be an on-going conversation, rather than a one-off event.


If all these elements are combined, a skin care programme will become an integrated part of the everyday running of a hospital or healthcare institution – going a long way toward controlling infections, and protecting the skin health of healthcare workers at the same time.


www.debgroup.com twitter.com/TomorrowsFM


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