Blasting those winter bugs

THE WINTER season is upon us and, with it, a host of viruses are sure to be on their way. There are bugs that cause flu, Covid and Norovirus.  And these winter nasties mean that the NHS is likely to face extreme demand and pressure during the winter months, in what is often referred to as the “NHS Winter Crisis”.

With over overcrowded Accident & Emergency departments, ambulances stacked up andunable to offload people who need care, longer waiting times and understaffing, NHS workers have to manage increased patient numbers. Meanwhile, patients have to endure “corridor care”, where a lack of resources and clinical spaces means some patients face being treated in the hospital corridor.

Worrying headlines

The NHS is often at full capacity all year round, so even small increases in demand can have painful consequences. In February this year, the NHS was swamped with more than 98,000 patients on average in hospital beds – the highest level for last winter. 

In December last year, NHS England reported that there were nearly 1,900 beds occupied by flu patients – more than three times higher than the year before – with doctors warning that they were struggling to contain the spread of the virus within hospitals.

And then there’s Norovirus – the winter vomiting bug – which affects nearly four million people every year, with 12,000 people being admitted to hospital with it. The financial cost to the NHS is estimated to run to £100 million annually. Healthcare workers and patients are particularly vulnerable.

With numbers of two new strains of Covid – Nimbus and Stratus – rising earlier in the season and the criteria for free covid boosters having been tightened to over 75s only or those with a weakened immune system, more people will be vulnerable to the virus. 

Flu, Covid and Norovirus are all predicted to peak imminently, so a clean and well stocked washroom is essential to allow people to maintain good hand hygiene and reduce the spread of infection. To ensure washrooms deliver, there are a few factors to consider. 

Halting transmission

One of the greatest challenges during the winter months is preventing infection in the first place. These germs can transmit easily though coughs and sneezes, but also through hand to hand contact, so it is essential to promote a diligent hand hygiene programme at this time.

It’s worth mentioning here the role of public and workplace washrooms in public health; if they’re up to scratch and promoting good hand hygiene, they can help to reduce the number of people who attend healthcare settings with avoidable illnesses.

Functional washrooms are a must, so it’s wise to stock up on essentials, such as soap and paper towels to ensure good hand hygiene.

Proper hand washing and hand drying remain the most important ways of maintaining hygiene and reducing the chance of infection. It’s therefore important for managers to review the practicality of dispensers and invest in larger capacity units if necessary. 

Optimising hand hygiene

Healthcare workers should practice good hygiene by always washing their hands before and after touching patients and performing procedures. While frequent and thorough handwashing is essential in reducing contamination by hand, many staff still struggle to consistently practice good hand hygiene, which can impact on the level of hygiene compliance. This is mainly due to a lack of time, the non-availability of hygiene products and a lack of understanding around the importance of effective hand hygiene. 

Harsh soaps and rough drying towels can irritate skin, so it’s important to ensure that gentlerproducts are available and healthcare professionals understand the importance of using them regularly. Furthermore, milder soaps and less abrasive hand towels make frequenthandwashing and drying more likely. 

As well as being more pleasant, soaps should be quick easy to use for busy staff. The North Shore mild formulation soap from Northwood, for instance, is gentle to hands and provides up to 1,250 shots, so will not run out quickly and leave people with no soap.

The easy to load manual soap dispenser is simple to wipe clean, with each cartridge including a new nozzle for added hygiene. It is compatible with Northwood’s range of alcohol and alcohol-free sanitisers and soaps. 

Alcohol gels or foams, like the North Shore instant sanitiser foam, should also be available to allow healthcare staff to cleanse their hands when handwashing isn’t feasible. It’s important to remember however that whilst alcohol protects against some viruses, it is not effective against Norovirus.

Drying times

So, we all know how important washing our hands is, but drying them after washing is equally essential as damp hands can spread one thousand times more bacteria than dry hands. It’s imperative therefore that washrooms in hospital and healthcare settings are well equipped to keep staff, patients and visitors safe. And with many people ignoring hand dryers on their way out of the washroom, it may be sensible to provide paper towels instead, which are both hygienic and convenient. 

Few people take enough time to properly wash their hands and then dry them hygienically with air dryers before leaving the washroom and some people rub their hands on their clothes to dry them if air drying is the only option. All this means that people are still carrying germs on their hands when they leave the washroom to spread elsewhere. Think about the amount of winter germs that could land on washroom door handles when people walk out of the facility. Then, there’s the chance for germs to transmit and harbour on hospital lanyards, stethoscopes and medical equipment.

Moreover, there have been many studies that have found that friction is a key component of hand drying to help remove contamination. So, the action of drying hands with paper towels can actually help to remove bacteria. 

Microbes, particularly viruses, can disperse in the air during air drying. These viruses can then be inhaled, passing from one person to another via the air we breathe. And any microbes in the air can be blown by the air dryer onto our face, body and arms, which we then carry out of the washroom.

Washroom design

When it comes to healthcare hygiene, the design of washroom dispensers is really importanttoo. With washrooms being constantly used, it’s essential to control the use of paper towels to prevent over usage. Providers should therefore choose high-capacity, controlled-use dispensers that restrict the use of consumables like hand towels. Not only does this help to reduce costs, it also reduces waste and is therefore more environmentally sustainable.

Furthermore, contactless dispensers improve hygiene because the user does not need to touch the unit to release hand towels, potentially un-doing the benefit of washing their hands in the first place. And dispensers that are easy to wipe clean, sealed, and splash-proof keep products hygienically stored inside, helping to prevent the contents becoming contaminated. 

Northwood’s high-capacity North Shore premium proprietary system of washroom dispensers and consumables is often specified because it is designed to deliver zero waste and volume in use. Providing industry-leading capacity and supreme cost-in-use benefits, it is easy to install and maintain, as well as being durable, hygienic and environmentally sustainable. 

A well-considered washroom is essential during the chillier months to combat winter virusesand providers can help to make hospitals and healthcare settings safer by choosing solutions that help everyone to keep good hand hygiene protocols with ease. 

Paul Mulready is marketing manager of Northwood Hygiene Products

For further information, visit www.northwood.co.uk