National Infection Control Week is being held from Monday 17th October to Friday 21st October, here at The Portland Hospital. The week has been designed nationally to promote the knowledge of infections and how they are prevented and spread.
During the week, there will be many opportunities for staff and patients to join in various ‘Infection Prevention and Control’ activities. The activities include a bug drawing children competition with prizes up for grabs, an infection control quiz for staff, an infection control word search, visits from various company representatives as well hand hygiene training and of course a visit from our friendly mascot Portly Panda and his best friend Rabbit.
Day 1 – Monday 17th October
Today was the first day of the National Infection Control week and an enjoyable day it was. The day started off with a visit to the Paediatric Wards by Portly Panda and his dear friend Rabbit. The children enjoyed seeing them and even enjoyed posing for the camera. Portly Panda and Rabbit also gave out some ‘cuddly bugs’ to the children they met as a way of promoting the Infection Control week. Bugs such as common cold, salmonella and stomach ache were given out. This week we will endeavour to ensure that every child who is admitted to The Portland Hospital will receive their own cuddly bug to take home and help them fight germs.
During the morning a road show style departmental training for staff on sharps bins was held. The representative of 
Daniels Healthcare and the ICN visited the staff and answered ongoing questions which arose.
In the afternoon Hand hygiene was the focus. Staff on several floors had the opportunity to carry out finger dabs to identify what microorganisms where growing on their hands. The glow box was also out and about on its rounds during the day helping staff to identify their hand hygiene technique.
The day finished with the judging of the Paediatric Drawing competition where the children had to design a bug. The standards where very high and two winners were chosen which won a prize.
Day 2/3 – Tuesday 18th October and Wednesday 19th October
Today was the second day of the National Infection Control week and an even busier day it was today. The main focus of the day was to ensure that all floors had the opportunity to receive training on the new universal wipe that has been introduced across the hospital. This wipe is a combined detergent and disinfectant wipe which is to be used for all routine cleaning. The staff where shown the correct technique to use the wipe and many queries where rectified during this training.
Several floors again had the opportunity to carry out finger dabs to identify what microorganisms where growing on their hands. The glow box was also out and about on its rounds during the day helping staff to identify their hand hygiene technique.
Both days finished with the Judging of the Paediatric Drawing competition where the children had to design a bug. The standards where again very high, but there was certainly an overall winner on each day!
Days 4 / 5 – Thursday 20th & Friday 21st October
Today was probably the busiest day of all for National Infection Control week. The main focus of the day was Hand hygiene as within the next couple of weeks all the hand hygiene products within The Portland will be changing in line with the rest of HCA Healthcare to DEB Healthcare products. The facilitator of this training was from DEB healthcare and he was escorted around the hospital by one of the Infection Control Link Practitioners.
Overall the enthusiasm that was shown by most members of staff was great and they were keen to join in and learn. The session focused on Bare below the Elbows, Use of soap and its amounts, the overall hand hygiene technique, the use of the taps and the basin as well as the coverage and removal of the simulation product. This training identified that staff generally need to pay more attention to the wrists and thumbs and carry out the technique for the required amounts of time. Well done to everyone who participated.
Several floors again had the opportunity to carry out finger dabs to identify what microorganisms where growing on their hands.
The day finished with the Judging of the Paediatric Drawing competition where the children had to design a bug. The standards where again very high, but there was certainly an overall winner. Congratulations.
The activities for day 5 where the same as day 3 Staff had opportunity to enter the Infection control quiz as well as to search out the words from the word search. The week finished with another Paediatric Drawing competition. Again the standard was exceptionally high so it was difficult to separate the two winners. All winners will now go into a final competition with the overall winner being presented with some vouchers for a famous toy store.
Thank you to everybody who helped make it a fun and informative week! 
If you require any further information on Infection Control at The Portland Hospital please contact Ruth Ronianski, Infection Control Nurse on 020 7390 6065.
National Infection Control Week at the Portland
During the week, there will be many opportunities for staff and patients to join in various ‘Infection Prevention and Control’ activities. The activities include a bug drawing children competition with prizes up for grabs, an infection control quiz for staff, an infection control word search, visits from various company representatives as well hand hygiene training and of course a visit from our friendly mascot Portly Panda and his best friend Rabbit.
Day 1 – Monday 17th October
During the morning a road show style departmental training for staff on sharps bins was held. The representative of
Daniels Healthcare and the ICN visited the staff and answered ongoing questions which arose.
In the afternoon Hand hygiene was the focus. Staff on several floors had the opportunity to carry out finger dabs to identify what microorganisms where growing on their hands. The glow box was also out and about on its rounds during the day helping staff to identify their hand hygiene technique.
The day finished with the judging of the Paediatric Drawing competition where the children had to design a bug. The standards where very high and two winners were chosen which won a prize.
Day 2/3 – Tuesday 18th October and Wednesday 19th October
Several floors again had the opportunity to carry out finger dabs to identify what microorganisms where growing on their hands. The glow box was also out and about on its rounds during the day helping staff to identify their hand hygiene technique.
Both days finished with the Judging of the Paediatric Drawing competition where the children had to design a bug. The standards where again very high, but there was certainly an overall winner on each day!
Days 4 / 5 – Thursday 20th & Friday 21st October
Today was probably the busiest day of all for National Infection Control week. The main focus of the day was Hand hygiene as within the next couple of weeks all the hand hygiene products within The Portland will be changing in line with the rest of HCA Healthcare to DEB Healthcare products. The facilitator of this training was from DEB healthcare and he was escorted around the hospital by one of the Infection Control Link Practitioners.
Overall the enthusiasm that was shown by most members of staff was great and they were keen to join in and learn. The session focused on Bare below the Elbows, Use of soap and its amounts, the overall hand hygiene technique, the use of the taps and the basin as well as the coverage and removal of the simulation product. This training identified that staff generally need to pay more attention to the wrists and thumbs and carry out the technique for the required amounts of time. Well done to everyone who participated.
Several floors again had the opportunity to carry out finger dabs to identify what microorganisms where growing on their hands.
The day finished with the Judging of the Paediatric Drawing competition where the children had to design a bug. The standards where again very high, but there was certainly an overall winner. Congratulations.
The activities for day 5 where the same as day 3 Staff had opportunity to enter the Infection control quiz as well as to search out the words from the word search. The week finished with another Paediatric Drawing competition. Again the standard was exceptionally high so it was difficult to separate the two winners. All winners will now go into a final competition with the overall winner being presented with some vouchers for a famous toy store.
Thank you to everybody who helped make it a fun and informative week!
If you require any further information on Infection Control at The Portland Hospital please contact Ruth Ronianski, Infection Control Nurse on 020 7390 6065.