HEALTH bosses are ramping up a campaign for staff, patients and visitors to do all they can to help hospitals in their battle against bugs. 

University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust (UHMBT) is launching the next stage of its promotional campaign with installations and posters.

They ask: “Is it me, you or them” responsible for tackling infections.

The campaign aims to raise public awareness and remind everyone what they can do to help reduce infections such as MRSA, norovirus (also known as winter vomiting) and Clostridium Difficile; a bacterial infection that affects the digestive system

Following installation work at Westmorland General Hospital (WGH), work has started at the Furness General Hospital site in Barrow and patients and the public are being asked to play their part.

The campaign  applies to all three hospitals run by the Trust, including the Royal Lancaster Infirmary (RLI).

Sue Smith, Executive Chief Nurse of the trust said: “We want to raise the awareness of the issue at a time when infections are on everyone’s mind. It is the season when Norovirus can strike, and we want people to think about infection prevention wherever they may be in our hospitals.

“Simple steps can make a huge difference. If everyone cleans their hands with soap and water when entering and leaving a clinical environment, and staff do so in between each interaction with a patient, hospitals can significantly reduce risk of patients acquiring Clostridium Difficile and MRSA.

“We want patients to play their part. They have my full support if they challenge clinical staff as to whether they have cleaned their hands before they perform any task at the bedside.

"We know reducing hospital-acquired infections is a top priority for patients and the public, and it is our priority too.

"We are already taking steps to tackle infection and want to raise awareness of the importance of effective measures to combat hospital infections, which include hand-washing and using alcohol hand gel.

"The last thing in the world we want, is for people that are coming into our hospitals picking up an infection. Everyone has a role to play."

The Trust says handwashing is vital to tackle Clostridium Difficile and MRSA – and members of the public are reminded not to visit any hospital if they have suffered from or have been in contact with someone who has suffered from diarrhoea or vomiting recently.