Personal Protective Equipment (PPE

Infection Prevention Solutions

5 Moments

Examples of care activity

1 Before touching a patient • Before any direct contact with the patient

2 Before clean / aseptic procedure

3 After body fluid exposure risk

4 After touching a patient

5 After touching patient surroundings • Before applying disposable gloves • Before examining a patient • Before undertaking an aseptic or clean wound dressing • Before handling / inserting an invasive device • If moving from a contaminated body site to another body site during examination / treatment of the same patient • After contact with body fluids, excretions, mucous membrane, non-intact skin or wound dressings • If moving from a contaminated body site to another body site during examination / treatment of the same patient • After removing gloves • After any direct contact with the patient • After removing gloves • After contact with inanimate surfaces and medical equipment in the immediate vicinity of the patient i.e. within patient zone

As these examples show, hand hygiene is required both before and after contact or procedure. Decontaminating hands before contact or procedure will protect the patient. Decontaminating hands after contact or procedure will protect the HCW and subsequent contamination of the health-care environment

See Appendices for posters which can be printed, laminated and wallmounted for staff guidance

Footnote:

NHS England & NHS Improvement recently published a national hand hygiene policy which can be found here: NHS England » Standard infection control precautions: national hand hygiene and personal protective equipment policy

The contents of this local policy reflect the content of the national policy and in addition provide useful guidance to staff on other aspects of hand hygiene.