SCRUB UP PLEA TO CITY PARAMEDICS
Glasgow ambulance workers fail hand hygiene test
PARAMEDICS have been told to improve their hand hygiene after almost one in five failed tests.
Crew members i n West Central Scotland were the only area to fail to meet the 90% compliance rate.
Ambulance bosses said minimising infection risk for patients was a priority.
PARAMEDICS in Glasgow have been urged to scrub up on hand hygiene after recording the worst rates for compliance in Scotland.
Nearly one in five ambulance workers (17%) in the West Central region failed the most recent tests.
In March – the most recent month for which figures are available – compliance was at 83 per cent, one per cent lower than the previous month and short of the 90 per cent target.
Ambulance bosses said poor scores in the area – which covers Glasgow, Lanarkshire and Dunbartonshire – were bringing the national target down significantly.
Paramedics have strict regulations with regard to hand washing – and are expected to adhere to them by the Scottish Ambulance Service.
Lack of compliance could lead to increased worries about the spread of MRSA and Clostridium difficile.
The Scottish Ambulance Service said hand hygiene compliance rates fluctuate throughout the year but the trend was one of “overall improvement.
West Central was Scotland’s only region to have failed the test, with South East (92 per cent), East Central (92 per cent), South West (93 per cent) and North (90 per cent) all meeting the 90 per cent target.
A report said: “Overall, hand hygiene compliance was reduced to 89% in March for a second, consecutive month.
“This is mainly due to compliance in West Central Division, which was 83 per cent in March and has consistently achieved below 90 per cent for the majority of the past year.”
The Scottish Ambulance Service sets t he hand hygiene assessments to reduce Healthcare Associate Infections like C.diff and norovirus.
Annie Wells, Scottish Conservative MSP for Glasgow, said: “Paramedics are under tremendous pressure and do a terrific job in very difficult circumstances.
“But the safety of patients has to be paramount, and there’s clearly an issue with these workers having the time in their shift to properly observe hand hygiene regulations.
“This isn’t a new thing, the service in and around Glasgow consistently fails to miss these very important targets.”
A spokeswoman for the Scottish Ambulance Service said: “Minimising the risk of healthcare associated infection for patients, staff and the public is a priority for the Scottish Ambulance Service.
“We do this by ensuring our staff receive guidance and education on infection prevention and control, including practicing appropriate hand hygiene, carrying out regular ambulance cleans and decontaminating equipment in between patient use.
“The hand hygiene compliance rate in the West Central division fluctuates slightly throughout the year, however the trend is one of overall improvement, with the most recent report showing hand hygiene compliance at its highest level this year so far.”