Human waste management specialist Vernacare has helped Arrowe Park Hospital in Wirral to carry out a week-long ACTION against C. diff campaign.

Based on the ACTION acronym (Antibiotics, Clean, Treatment, Isolation and Investigation, Observation and Nutrition), the campaign brought together all wards and departments in a multi-disciplinary, collaborative approach to infection prevention.

Vernacare's Julie Dickinson visited the wards to demonstrate best practice in cleaning the Vernachair commode with a chlorine-based detergent.

Staff were shown how to use the Vernacare Indicator tape, a visual management technique to support good hygiene. Following cleaning, the tape is attached to a range of equipment items to record that satisfactory hygiene standards have been achieved.

The adhesive strips were attached to the clean commodes and marked with a signature and date, indicating to colleagues and patients that the equipment was fully compliant with hospital hygiene standards.

Alison Quinn, Infection Prevention and Control Team Leader/Project Manager at Arrowe Park Hospital, said: "High standards of cleanliness are a vital component in our fight against C. diff, and our ACTION week highlighted our broad-based approach to preventing infection - from improving hand hygiene to addressing nutrition and antimicrobial prescribing.

"This week of concentrated activity put the focus on C. diff, but it is part of an ongoing campaign to ensure that the Trust protects patients, staff and visitors within a clean, safe environment."

Vernacare UK is based in Bolton.

 
Julie Dickinson with Arrowe Park Hospital team