"No hand sanitiser at main entrance"

Thank you for your posting on NHS choices and your query about the lack of placement of alcohol hand gel at the main entrance of the hospital. The Trusts Assistant Director of Infection Prevention and Control has responded as follows: I would like to reassure you that the Trust takes infection control very seriously and take steps to ensure best practice around hand hygiene and the provision of appropriate facilities for staff, visitors and patients. Alcohol hand sanitizers are recommended for healthcare workers to use ‘at the point of care’; The point of care refers to the patient’s immediate environment (zone) in which healthcare staff-to-patient contact or treatment is taking place. In the hospital environment it is usually at the patient’s bed, but in other contexts it could be in a treatment room, cot, chair, ambulance or a patient’s home for example. Promoting hand hygiene amongst patients and visitors raises the profile of hand hygiene but is unlikely to reduce the transmission of organisms that result in healthcare associated infections. For this reason placement of alcohol sanitizers at other sites is at the discretion of local trusts/ and organisations. East Sussex Healthcare Trust and other NHS providers in the South East region reviewed the advice and local risks and have made the decision not to provide alcohol in public areas/ main entrances to hospitals. Please contact our Patient Advice & Liaison Service (PALS) with your contact details if you would like us to send you a copy of a Patient safety Alert issued by the National Patient Safety Agency which trusts were required to action and some frequently asked questions and answers which I hope you would find helpful. PALS can be contacted by email at: esh-tr.PALSH@nhs.net. If you have any further queries, please do not hesitate to contact me. Kind Regards Tina Lloyd Assistant Director of Infection Prevention & Control