Early communication: does a national campaign to improve hand hygiene in the NHS work? Initial English and Welsh experience from the NOSEC study (National Observational Study to Evaluate the CleanYourHandsCampaign).

The NPSA “CleanYour HandsCampaign” seeks to improve healthcare workers’ hand-hygiene behaviour and was rolled out to 187 hospitals between December 2004 and June 2005.It consists of provision of “near-patient alcohol hand rub at the bedside”, “talking walls” (posters on each ward changed every month) and “patient empowerment” (materials telling patients to ask HCWs to clean their hands). The aims of the NOSEC study are to determine whether the campaign is implemented successfully and sustained, whether it results in increased hand hygiene, and to document changes in healthcare-associated infection rates. This communication reports on changes in soap and AHR use and HCAI rates in the baseline and roll out phases, and on implementation of main CYHC components at 6 and 12 months post roll out. Journal of Hospital Infection 2007;66:293-6.