A HAND hygiene awareness week has been launched at Ipswich Hospital.

A HAND hygiene awareness week has been launched at Ipswich Hospital.

From today until Sunday the hospital will be urging visitors and staff to question how clean their hands really are as part of the campaign to raise hygiene standards.

It comes the week after the hospital received a notice to improve from the Healthcare Commission as a result of its failure to comply with the hygiene code.

During the hospital's afternoon visiting period information stands in the hospital's entrances will feature be an ultra violet light box and glow cream so visitors can test how effective their hand hygiene really is.

Visitors can put glow cream on their hands, wash them with warm water and soap, rinse and dry them before placing them under the ultra violet light where any remaining cream will show up.

Gwen Collins, director of infection prevention and control, said: "People are often shocked to find that they have not always washed their hands as effectively as they think they have.

“It is hoped that the public and visitors to the hospital will help play their part, alongside hospital staff, in continuing to maintain the high profile of infection control."

Does more need to be done to tackle infections at Ipswich Hospital? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich IP4 1AN or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk.