Hand hygiene a priority for hospital staff

INCREASED hand-washing will become a priority for workers in hospitals next year as Health Minister Mary Harney has warned she is determined to tackle the spread of infection.

A major information campaign will be launched around the issue of hand hygiene as reports reveal up to 10,000 patients are picking up harmless staphylococcus aureus bacteria in Irish hospitals.

The bacteria can develop into the potentially fatal MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus) in up to 400 cases a year.