Michelle Fiddler,
Liverpool Echo
The Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS trust will become one of the first in the country to use equipment with timing devices to warn staff when keyboards need cleaning.
Research into killer hospital bugs such as MRSA has found they can be spread by staff using dirty computer equipment.
The new keyboards will be used for all computers in ward areas.
Diane Wake, director of infection prevention and control, said: “The keyboards will be an additional safety measure to ensure a clean and secure, health care environment.
“These innovative products will be a great help to staff in our hospitals in the battle against infections.
“We are committed to doing everything we can no matter how small, innovative or unique it may be.”
The keyboards are completely flat, making them easier to clean, and they have hidden sensors so a red light flashes when surfaces have not been cleaned thoroughly enough.
Ms Wake said: “Good, but basic, routine clinical practices will secure victory against infections. Doing simple things well, and doing them all the time, is the guaranteed recipe for success.
“With the increasing computerisation of the NHS, the keyboards will ensure that bugs are less likely to spread when doctors and nurses move between computers and patients.
“Plus, the keyboards will be a steady reminder to keep things as clean as can be.”
The keyboards were thought up at University College London Hospitals. Research by microbiologists suggests that bacteria levels on keyboards fall by 70% if they are cleaned every 12 hours.
Keyboard covers last for two to three months. They can be a haven for bacteria as they are often difficult to clean.
michellefiddler@liverpool echo.co.uk
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment