Hospital staff ‘lack hygiene awareness’

A SURVEY of more than 5,000 hospital patients has revealed serious issues with staff hand hygiene, a finding described yesterday as “disappointing” by Health Minister Dr James Reilly.

While more than half of patients said staff always washed their hands before examining them, 12% said it happened some of the time while almost 7% said hand washing did not occur.

One in five of those who took part in the survey last year said they did not know or could not remember whether it had occurred.