Infection Control & Hand Hygiene
Infection Control
The management and staff at Knox Private Hospital care about the wellbeing of patients and request the assistance from visitors to the hospital in providing the safest environment that is possible for patients. When we are fit and healthy, we can usually defend ourselves against many germs. Often our natural defences are weakened when we are not well, or after an operation.
In order for you to assist us, we provide the following information. Visiting the hospital when you are feeling unwell as the cough, cold and flu season approaches, we request that you refrain from visiting the hospital if you are feeling unwell. At all times:
- Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze
- Put your used tissue(s) in a rubbish bin
- Wash your hands with soap and running water. and dry your hands thoroughly with a disposable towel
Certain types of gastroenteritis are frequently introduced into a hospital environment from the community, as a result of visitors to a hospital. The symptoms of this illness include nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea.
If you, any members of your family or friends are currently suffering from any of the aforementioned symptoms, we request that you do not visit the hospital until you have been free of these symptoms for at least 48 hours.
Hand Hygiene
Hand hygiene is the single most important factor in reducing the risk of cross infection. Our hands may look clean, but many germs are invisible to our eyes. We can unknowingly transmit germs from our hands to others and the hospital environment.
To enable you to assist us, the hospital has provided hand rub in wall-mounted brackets at each entry to the hospital, entry to Wards and each patient’s bedroom. The product provided contains 70% alcohol in a moisturising solution and is not harmful to the skin. We request that, on entering and leaving the hospital, you apply solution to your hands. To use the hand rub, apply the solution to the palm of one hand, then rub the hands together covering all surfaces of the hands and, in particular, fingertips and fingernails. It should take about 20 seconds for the solution to dry on your hands. This indicates that you have used sufficient hand rub to achieve hand hygiene.