When you are unwell in, your body may find it harder to fight infection. Some treatments, such as surgery or antibiotics, can also lower your natural defences. Everyone has an important role to play in helping prevent infection in hospital.

How you can help

As a patient, you can:

• Wash your hands following the use of a toilet or commode and before eating. Hand sanitisers and sinks are available in all patient areas.
• Avoid sharing toiletries or personal items with other patients (for example, soap or towels).
• Wear slippers or comfortable footwear when walking around the wards to protect your feet and keep your bed clean.
• Avoid sitting on other patients’ beds.
• Keep the top of your locker and bed table free of clutter – bring only essential items with you.
• Tell staff immediately if your wound, dressing, or medical device attached to you becomes painful, loose, or is no longer in place.
• The Trust closely monitors cleanliness. If you have any concerns, please speak to the ward manager or the department manager.
• Staff routinely clean their hands before providing care – You are welcome to ask if they have cleaned their hands.

As a visitor, you can:

• Play an important role in helping to prevent the spread of infections in hospital. Please follow these simple guidelines.
• Clean your hands with hand sanitisers provided before and after visiting a hospital ward or department.
• Avoid visiting your relative in hospital if you are unwell with a cough, cold or flu-like illness, or have any symptoms of diarrhoea or vomiting.
• Avoid bringing any perishable foods into hospitals, for example, sandwiches.
• Adhere to the visiting times and ensure only two visitors to each bed at any one time.
• If a patient is being nursed in isolation in a side room or ward, please do not enter until you have spoken to a nurse and do not visit any other patients.
• Avoid sitting on the patient’s bed or touching dressings or equipment around the bed.
• Keep the patient’s bedside area tidy and free of clutter. Store personal belongings in the bedside locker and take dirty laundry home as soon as possible. Staff can provide laundry advice if a patient has a known or suspected infection.
• Please do not send or bring in flowers.
• Please do not use patient toilets. There are separate toilets available for visitors.
• We strongly recommend that babies and young children do not visit.
• Visiting restrictions may be introduced from time to time for infection prevention and control purposes. Ward staff will advise when this applies.

If you have any questions or concerns with any of the above guidance, please speak to a ward sister or nurse in charge of the ward.

Help prevent food poisoning

Food poisoning is an illness that occurs after eating or drinking contaminated food or liquid. Bacteria (germs) on or in the food are usually the underlying cause, but food poisoning may also be caused by viruses, parasites or chemicals. Symptoms may include diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps and fever. Food poisoning can sometimes lead to severe illness.

Anyone can get food poisoning, but young children under five years of age, the elderly, pregnant women and people who are already ill may be at greater risk of infection. They may also experience more severe illness. In rare cases food poisoning can kill.

The best way to reduce your risk of food poisoning is to ensure food safety and good hand hygiene.

Patients in hospital (including those attending hospital day services) should:

• always eat food as soon as or shortly after it has been served.
• leave uneaten food on the tray for return to the kitchen.
• never keep hot or chilled food for consumption at a later time.
• never store hot or chilled food in bedside lockers.
• only eat food provided by hospital staff.

Patients should not eat hot or chilled food from other sources such as hospital canteens, shops or restaurants. Visitors should not bring hot or chilled food into hospital for patients unless agreed with the ward sister or charge nurse first.

Hand washing

You can help prevent food poisoning (and other infections) by washing your hands regularly and thoroughly with soap and warm water. You should always wash your hands before preparing food, looking after children, the elderly or unwell.

Hands should be wet before applying liquid soap. The soap should be rubbed vigorously into all areas of the hands to produce lather. The hands should be rinsed under running water.

It is very important to dry your hands thoroughly. When in hospital use the disposable paper towels and foot[1]operated pedal bins provided. If you require further information or help with hand washing in hospital, please contact the ward sister or charge nurse, or ask a member of the ward staff.