New Technology Excluded From NHS - Despite Evidence That it Can Improve Hand Hygiene and Reduce MRSA

Protocols for hand hygiene in NHS hospitals are out of date and urgently in need of revision, according to new research published today (23.09.04).    Research among a statistically valid sample of NHS nurses has revealed significant barriers to following current hand hygiene protocols both in hospitals and in the community.

Current Department of Health[1] and NICE guidelines[2] state that nurses must clean their hands with alcohol-based hand gels in between contact with patients, and with soap and water if their hands are soiled, in order to control infection. However, the survey of 200 nurses, commissioned by Healthcare Enterprise Group and carried out by the independent research agency Nursix, found that there are serious problems with alcohol-based hand products.

The research revealed that 64% of nurses had experienced either skin irritation, pain or dry skin from using alcohol-based hand hygiene products[3]. Importantly, compliance with hand hygiene protocols would be significantly improved if these effects could be prevented: 66% would clean their hands more frequently if they could use a hand rub that was proven to be as effective as alcohol but did not cause skin irritation[4]. 89% of these nurses had managed a patient with MRSA or another hospital acquired infection[5].

Further research of members of the Infection Control Nurses Association supports this finding. 66% of Infection Control nurses stated that their nursing staff believed that regular use of alcohol-based hand rubs could cause skin problems[6].

A new technology, Ebiox, was developed by Healthcare Enterprise Group in response to these skin damage concerns from nurses and has now been proven by NHS laboratories to be at least as effective in improving hygiene as the alcohol based products currently used. However, the NHS protocols prevent NHS trusts from purchasing alternatives to the alcohol-based products, including Ebiox, - therefore creating a barrier to improvement of hand hygiene in their hospitals and care homes.

The Department of Health's ' Winning Ways ' document recognises that hand decontamination before and after contact with patients is "vitally important in the control of infection". The recent campaign from the National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) has been developed to promote improved hand hygiene - but is based on current protocols and the use of alcohol based hand rubs.

Healthcare Enterprise Group has requested meetings with the Secretary of State for Health, Dr John Reid; the Chief Medical Officer, Sir Liam Donaldson; and the NHS Chief Executive, Sir Nigel Crisp to highlight these problems with the hand hygiene protocols and current campaigns. The Healthcare Enterprise Group is awaiting responses.

Footnotes:

1: Department of Health guidelines: Pratt R, Pellowe C, Loveday H et al. The epic project: Developing National Evidence-based guidelines for preventing healthcare-associated infections. Journal of Hospital Infection 2001; 47(Suppl):1-82.

2: NICE clinical guideline on prevention of healthcare associated infections in primary and secondary care (GP surgeries, health centres, nursing homes etc), June 2003

3, 4 and 5: 200 nurses were interviewed by Nursix (www.nursix.com) between the 11th and 13th September 2004.

6: Results from a hand hygiene survey carried out at the ICNA exhibition in Belfast , September 2004. Out of the 25 nurses questioned, 17 answered 'Yes' to the following question: Do some staff believe that regular use of alcohol-based hand rubs could cause skin problems?

Source: Ebiox

For Further Information, Please Contact Gina Coladangelo or Sarah Crack on +44-(0)20-7618-9100

  (27/9/04)