Latest news with #PabloPereiraDoel
Metro
a day ago
- Health
- Metro
Almost half of people don't wash their hands after using hospital toilets
It's one of the simplest steps in stopping germs from spreading – but nearly half of hospital toilet users are failing to wash their hands, a new study has found. Researchers at the University of Surrey put sensors on toilet and sink pipes to monitor hygiene behaviours at a hospital in Denmark. Over the roughly five-month period, they found that 43.7% of users did not wash their hands after using the loo. The figure, which jumped to 61.8% on some of the weeks, has raised the alarm about hygiene practices that some might have assumed had become commonplace after the pandemic. Dr Pablo Pereira Doel from the University of Surrey said people failing to wash their hands could 'directly affect patient safety' in hospitals. People were especially bad at washing their hands at the start and end of the day, as well as during mealtimes. NHS guidance says hand washing is 'one of the easiest ways to protect yourself and others from illnesses'. The advice hit the headlines at the start of the pandemic when then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson urged the nation to 'wash your hands for 20 seconds or more'. Professor Benjamin Gardner, from the University of Surrey, said: 'Strategies that raise awareness at the crucial point in a bathroom visit and easily understood messaging about how to wash effectively – like singing Happy Birthday twice over – can help people form handwashing habits that last.' The study took place at Bispebjerg hospital in Copenhagen, recording 2,636 over the course of 19 weeks. More Trending Professor Carrie Newlands, also of the University of Surrey, added the latest findings are 'not surprising'. 'Even simple behaviours like handwashing can lapse without reinforcement. 'In hospitals, lapses like these can have serious consequences – for patients and for the wider healthcare system. 'It's time we moved beyond posters and hand gel stations to more effective behavioural strategies.' Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: 21 seconds to go: The golden rule for how long it should take you to pee MORE: The reason why this famous TV doctor travelled 360 miles for surgery MORE: I'm a millennial – please stop sending me perimenopause memes
BBC News
2 days ago
- Health
- BBC News
Nearly half of hospital toilet users skip handwashing, study says
Almost one in two of people that use a hospital toilet do not wash their hands, according to new research from the University of 19-week study, in partnership with Bispebjerg hospital in Denmark, put sensors on toilet and sink pipes to monitor hygiene 2,636 flushes, it revealed 43.7% (1,153 flushes) of people using a hospital toilet skipped handwashing, with figures peaking at 61.8% on certain assumptions that handwashing may be "second nature" after Covid-19, Dr Pablo Pereira Doel from the University of Surrey said this behaviour could "directly affect patient safety". The study noted that handwashing figures were especially down at the start and end of each day, including typical Benjamin Gardner, from the University of Surrey, said: "Strategies that raise awareness at the crucial point in a bathroom visit and easily understood messaging about how to wash effectively – like singing Happy Birthday twice over – can help people form handwashing habits that last."Guidance from NHS England says handwashing is one of the easiest ways of preventing food poisoning and other illnesses, such as the flu, especially in hospital settings."These findings are worrying but not surprising," Prof Carrie Newlands from the University of Surrey Newlands wants visual reinforcements, such as posters and hand-gel stations, to be replaced by "more effective behavioural strategies".
