Logo Mats used to get the message over in hospitals

Reminding staff and visitors to clean their hands before entering a hospital ward has never been more important than in today’s ‘superbug’ environment. Continually getting this message across to people, however, proves to be a real challenge requiring a novel approach to make sure it is not forgotten. The Calderdale & Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust has come up with the idea of placing launderable message mats carrying the ‘Now Clean Your Hands’ message at various sites within the trust. The trust includes Calderdale Royal Hospital, a modern day centre of excellence, which has placed the mats beneath gel dispensers used to sanitise hands to help prevent infection. Tracy Rawcliffe, Service Performance Manager of the Trust, came up with the idea whilst attending the recent 2007 AHCP (Association of Healthcare Cleaning Professionals) Conference in Blackpool. She felt the mats would stand out from amongst the many messages that can be found on hospital walls and would thus more likely be noticed. Unlike on the hospital’s walls, they are the only message that can be seen on the floor and will thus not get lost in a plethora of competing messages. The brightly coloured red mats are emblazed with a pair of clean hands and the message in yellow to ensure they are highly visible. As well as conveying this principal message, the mats also provide a second function, that of minimising the slip hazard that dispensers can create due to the spillage of gel on the floor. The mats also have a non slip rubber backing to minimise movement of the mat when it is stepped on. The mats are supplied by Mats 4 U, based in Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands. Mats can be made with any message or image on them and can be manufactured in ten days from approval of the artwork. Visit the website at www.mats4u.co.uk or call 0121 351 4444 for further information.

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