The spray that helps reduce HAIs

Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool is pioneering a new spray-form of "liquid glass" that has proven in trials to reduce the number of disease-causing bacteria living on the surface of objects.

Severely ill children being treated at Alder Hey are often not allowed to play with the hospital's communal toys due to fears that infections will be passed between patients, some of whom may have weak immune systems as a consequence of hospital treatment.

The liquid forms an invisible coating on the surface of an object to repel dirt on the toys. It is also believed to prevent the build-up of hospital-acquired infections, some of which are resistant to normal antibiotics.Alder Hey is testing the experimental coating on the toys in children's wards because they were deemed most susceptible to infection contamination.

Tests of the liquid glass in another nearby hospital have shown that coating surfaces such as floors, toilet handles and lift buttons, can reduce bacterial growth by between 25 and 50 per cent.

Mark Woodhead, Chairman of the British Cleaning Council, said:"These test results show that this product has great potential, not just for toys but for just about every other hospital setting.Coupled with extra investment in cleaning personnel, these technological advancements will help us to confront the deadly threat of HAI's more effectively".