Managing NHS staff facilities - infection control

It is well documented that effective hygiene and preventing infection are absolutes in all health care settings. However, due to inadequate changing facilities staff uniforms are frequently contaminated by disease-causing bacteria and this presents a potential source of bacterial cross-contamination in the clinical setting.

Policies such as the NHS uniform and work wear policy recommend that it is good practice for staff to change into and out of their uniform at work, or that they cover their uniform completely when travelling to and from work. Commutes on public transport are a good example of how with vast numbers of human traffic uniforms can become soiled before reaching the work environment.

To minimise the risk of cross infection from staff uniforms The Royal College of Nursing advice the following steps:

• Acute health care settings must provide adequate laundering facilities for staff uniforms, so staff can wear clean uniforms for each shift
• All acute health care settings must provide adequate changing facilities for staff
• Staff working at a designated site must be given adequate changing facilities

"The importance of providing staff changing facilities assume a greater significance once all these facts are taken into consideration," says Joeri Decae, Sales Director at Link Lockers, who with sister company Link 51 hold the NHS supply chain contract for the supply of shelving and lockers.

Link Lockers and Link 51 provide an extensive range of storage solutions for every healthcare departmental need including Garment Management Systems which are used for the controlled issue of work wear, safety equipment or consumable items in the workplace. The Garment Issue Lockers have been designed for the easy dispensing and collection of clean/used work wear in the changing room and importantly all Link Lockers and Link 51 products feature BioCote® anti-microbial coating. BioCote® is the only technology of its type to have its performance and capability proven in the hospital environment through peer-reviewed trials.

BioCote® anti-microbial technology helps to reduce the risk of bacterial cross-contamination. Real-life environmental studies at the Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust and a council care home have proven that BioCote® protected products reduce the bacterial loadings on the surfaces within any environment."

By providing staff with adequate changing facilities and a simple way to obtain clean uniforms the risks of cross contamination through staff work wear are radically reduced. "Reports of nurses having to change in the toilets, or having to wear their uniforms to work because of inadequate changing facilities must become a thing of the past in order to continually reduce the risk of cross contamination within the NHS."

In a continuing bid to support NHS personnel involved in managing and specifying storage within NHS environments Link Lockers and Link 51 has launched a free web resource at www.nhs-storage.co.uk. Created in consultation with NHS personnel, NHS-storage features all the latest news, policies, research and developments related to storage in the NHS.