What can you do to help

Patients

• Keeping your hands and body clean is important when you are in hospital, make sure that you bring toiletries, including soap, into hospital with you.
• Do not share or borrow toiletries.
• Please wash your hands - especially before eating and after using the toilet.  There are sinks available in all patient areas and alcohol rub at the end of the beds. 
• Wear slippers when walking around the wards.  This keeps your feet clean so that bacteria cannot be transferred from your feet to the bed.
• Please do not sit on other patients' beds.
• Help us with our cleaning by keeping your locker top and bed table free of clutter.
• If you see any dirt, dust or mess either around your bed or in the toilets or bathrooms please report this immediately to a nurse, ward staff or one of the matrons.
• Please tell staff immediately if your dressing becomes loose or a wound or intravenous drip site becomes sore or painful. 
• If a member of staff needs to examine you, please do not be afraid to ask them if they have washed their hands or used the alcohol rub.  If they are wearing gloves you can ask if they have changed them since examining the last patient.  If you do not feel able to do this please tell the ward sister or matron.

Visitors

• Please avoid visiting a patient if you have been suffering from vomiting, diarrhoea or a cold within the last 48 hours.
• Wash you hands with the alcohol rub provided before entering the ward.
• Please do not use the patients' toilets, there are separate public toilets available for use.
• Please do not sit on the beds.
• Please adhere to the Visitors Charter, displayed around the hospital, and be aware of the correct visiting times.
• Please do not bring or send flowers to patients.